Trott

Hello Fodor's!

My husband and I are getting ready to book our tickets for a two week trip to Europe.

We are aiming sometime in September, with the tentative dates of September 17 through October 3, although the dates could be flexible a couple of weeks in either direction.

Sept. 17 (Tues): leave
Sept. 18 (Wed.): arrive in London in the morning, have a wonderfully jet lagged day
Sept. 19 + 20: London
Sept. 21: Travel to Paris (so 3.5ish days in London, albeit one jet-lagged one)
Sept. 22 - Sept. 25: Paris (including a longgg day trip to Normandy beaches)
Sept. 25: night train to Munich, maybe a flight (so 4.5ish days of Paris)
Sept. 26-30: Munich (one day at Oktoberfest)
Oct. 1: travel to Prague (so 4.5 days in Munich)
October 2: Prague
October 3: Fly home

These are flexible, My husband and I have both been to London, Munich and Paris before when we were younger, so those days can be adjusted. We added in Prague because we wanted to see somewhere we haven't before, although Amsterdam and Venice were also in the running.

Is Prague so "out there" that we should either devote more time to it or not even bother? Add another destination instead?

Also, is planning on hitting up Munich during Oktoberfest a horrible idea? If we booked hotels within the next week or so would we still get OK options? We would probably be just as happy visiting breweries independently for a beer fix, but it seemed like one of those "if you're there, you might as well do it" events.

Thanks for the help!

michele_d

IMO I would take time from Munich and add it to Prague especially if you have already been to Munich. We absolutely loved Prague. We spent four days there and it was perfect. We did attend Oktoberfest and that is fun also. You gotta see it at least once in your life. Reasonably priced hotels are filling up quickly in Munich if not already gone. We stayed in Augsburg and trained in. Got a lot better priced hotel that way.

PalenQ

For lots of great info on your train trips - most of which if you want to lock yourself into a certain specific train that needs to be booked months in advance often to get the limited in number discounted (but rarely changeable nor refundable) then that route would be the cheapest for you no doubt as most of your trains can be had for a deep discount over just showing up and buying full fare tickets.- check out www.seat61.com (great info on discounted tickets); www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Jean

I hope you sleep well. That Paris-Munich night train makes 8 stops.

I'd also give another day (or 2) to Prague.

janisj

>>Sept. 18 (Wed.): arrive in London in the morning, have a wonderfully jet lagged day
Sept. 19 + 20: London
Sept. 21: Travel to Paris (so 3.5ish days in London, albeit one jet-lagged one)<<

That is 2.5-ish days. Half a (jet lagged) day on the 18th. Then all day Sept 19-20. You leave London Sept 21

2.5 days is <i>nothing</i> in London -- it is enormous w/ sooooooo many things to see do. You'll be lucky to hit 4 or 5 of the major sites.

>>Sept. 21: Travel to Paris
Sept. 22 - Sept. 25: Paris (including a longgg day trip to Normandy beaches)
Sept. 25: night train to Munich, maybe a flight (so 4.5ish days of Paris)<<

That is 3.5-ish days in Paris. You'll have 1/2 a day on the 21st. You leave Paris for one entire day to Normandy so you can't count it as time in Paris.

IMO your London time is so short/inadequate I'd skip it altogether. It would be very rushed /hectic and could really use more time in Paris.

I'd add two days (minimum) to London . . . OR . . . Fly into Paris and out of Prague . . . OR . . . Fly into London and home from Munich (skipping Prague)

indy_dad

<i>IMO your London time is so short/inadequate I'd skip it altogether. It would be very rushed /hectic and could really use more time in Paris. </i>

Not sure I agree with that logic. Sure, more time is better and perhaps the overall trip would be better with one less city, but 2 days in London is better than none if it is something you want to do. Just realize that you won't be "doing" or "seeing" London in that time frame. A day for the Tower of London and St. Pauls and another for Westminster Abbey and all the walkable sites in that area make a nice little taster in my opinion.

Normandy from Paris is quite a slog. Might save that for another time.

Agree with michele_d that another day in Prague at Munich's expense would be worthwhile (good beer there too!).

A few of my trip report links if that helps:

Prague
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-with-kids.cfm

London 1
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...andparents.cfm

London 2
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-with-kids.cfm

Normandy (to whet your appetite for another trip)
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...y-uk-stops.cfm

Paris
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm

janisj

Indy-dad: Maybe to explain the reason I said that - it is at the beginning of the trip and jet lag/acclimating means they'll see even less than normal in such a short visit. I personally think trying to deal w/ whirlwind London while also trying to recover is just very frustrating/unsatisfactory.

PalenQ

Also, is planning on hitting up Munich during Oktoberfest a horrible idea?>

first of all most would find spending a whole day at Oktoberfest tedious - sitting all day drinking beer in a tent? I like to hop from tent to tent just to watch - nothing against that - standing and watching and listening to those wonderful oompah bands! Taking in the show but the whole day - spend that half-day say going out to Dachau or the Olympic Stadium/park or the lovely Englischer Gardens.

I day tripped into Oktoberbest a few times from nearby towns where hotels were cheap because of off-season - once from Garmisch-Partenkirchen just an hour away and a lovely alpine village known for the Zugspitze on your door step.

uhoh_busted

We spent a month outside of Perpignan and I recall lots of ads posted on walls, poles, etc for bus trips to Barcelona....an option if trains aren't running.

KL467

Trott,

My day trip by train to Normandy had the following times:

Depart 7:07 Paris Saint Lazare
Arrive 9:39 Carentan, picked up by the local guide that we hired for the day.

Depart 18:08 Carentan
Arrive 20:45 Paris Saint Lazare, in time for dinner.

Trott

Thanks for the help everybody!

I understand people's concern about fitting in too much. My husband is the go-go-go type, so I am trying to balance that.

We might cut out either London or Prague, but judging from the really good airfare I just found for Phoenix > London (direct! Hallelujah) and then Prague > London > Phoenix, we might stick with the plan but adjust:

One more day in Prague, so Sept. 30 we leave Munich for Prague, have full Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 there.

Then if we take the night train (which we're debating) from Paris to Munich we have:

Sept. 21-- travel to Paris (we hope to get there in the morning, so hopefully some time for walking around and a nighttime river cruise)
Sept. 22--Paris
Sept. 23--Paris
Sept. 24--Paris (day trip to Normandy/Chartes/Versailles?)
Sept. 25--Paris (another day trip? Or more Paris... maybe move this to another day so we're not taking the train at night right after)
***overnight train... maybe***
Sept. 26--Munich (Oktoberfest)
Sept. 27--Munich (Dachau/BMW museum?)
Sept. 28--Munich
Sept. 29--Munich (Berchtesgaden day trip?)

Is that a good divide between Paris and Munich? Move days around? We're interested in World War II and Jewish history, some scenic/outdoorsy stuff, beer and cars (for the hubby).

Thanks for your direction!

KL467

My husband and I took this World War II tour in Prague on June 22nd and loved it!

http://www.ww2inprague.com/home

Travelforbeer

Hi Trott-

If you are going to spend 4 days in Munich during the Oktoberfest and only go to the 'Fest one time then you are wasting your hotel money. Look at other places to stay outside of Munich and do a day trip to Munich. Garmisch, Salzburg, Augsburg, Ulm, Fussen, Regensburg, and Ingolstadt all come to mind.

Have a good trip!!!

PalenQ

Another easy day trip from Munich goes to the Chiemsee and Mad Ludwi's Bavarian Versailles - Herrenchiemsee Palace lovingly set on an island in this placid alpine lake. Take train to Prien (45 mins or so from Munich on route to Salzburg) then vintage steam train to dock or walk the half-mile or so.

A wonderful wonderful palace with as usual for Mad Ludwiig a surprise at every turn.