panyta

Hi,
I am going to the wedding in France and also visit family in Nice in April next year. We never been to Amsterdam so this I'd the first time and we already book the flight there and return from Paris. Can you please help commenting on the itinerary? I am not sure if I should base myself in Geneva on day 19-20 or just do a trip from Annecy. We don't give Paris any day as we have been there many times already.

Day 1 (arrive at 2pm) Amsterdam
Day 2 Amsterdam (museums)
Day 3 Amsterdam (Rotterdam/The Hague)
Day 4 Amsterdam (browsing)
Day 5 take early train (7.18am) to Brussels
Day 6 Brussels (day trip to Brugge)
Day 7 Brussels (day trip to Cologne)
Day 8 fly to Nice (stay with family)
Day9 Nice
Day 10 Nice
Day 11 Nice
Day 12 Nice
Day 13 Nice
Day 14 Nice
Day 15 Nice-Annecy (drive to Annecy)
Day 16 Annecy
Day 17 Annecy
Day 18 Annecy
Day 19 Geneva
Day 20 Geneva (day trip to Lausanne and around)
Day 21 Wedding (Besancon)
Day 22 Wedding
Day 23 Wedding- Dijon
Day 24 Dijon
Day 25 Dijon - Paris (arrive in the evening and stay near the airport)
Day 26 leaving Paris in the morning

Thanks!

bilboburgler

Geneva has a nice fountain (other than that mostly harmless) much as I have friends who live their I can think of no reason to visit there.

Brussels, lacks very little reason to visit it (slightly more than Geneva)

You clearly know your Europe and I love Bescancon but I struggle to understand your selection

bilboburgler

Brussels, has very little reason to visit it (slightly more than Geneva) (must be the fine Burgundy I'm drinking)

FrenchMystiqueTours

I've never been to Brussels, Cologne or Geneva so can't comment on them but one thing you have right is the amount of time you've allotted to each place in terms of not trying to do too much.

panyta

I never been to Brussels so thought it's not far from Amsterdam and it'd be the direct flight to fly to Nice, France to visit my family member. I heard so much about Brussels that tehre is not much to see...
I have been to Geneva and agree that it's not the exciting city to visit but again thought it's on the way from Annecy to Besancon. I thought it'd worth stop over for a night or two. Unless anyone can recommend any other places to visit.
Besancon is where the wedding will be so that's why it's in my itinerary.

michelhuebeli

If you enter Switzerland in your rental car near Geneva, you're likely to be on an expressway (the A41 in France that becomes the 1 in Switzerland) and in Switzerland your car is supposed to display the tax sticker called Vignette. It can only be purchased for an entire year, and if you get caught without it you might have to pay a hefty fine. So make sure that either your car has it, or avoid entering Switzerland on your way to Besançon - simply skirt around Geneva. Easy - go from Annecy via Sillingy and Bellegarde-sur-Valserine then via Péron and Saint-Genis-Pouilly to Gex.

Use google maps or www.viamichelin.com.

If the Vignette sticker is no problem, and if you're curious about Geneva, by all means plan on a stop and look on your way from Annecy to Besançon, but not an overnight. Read up on Geneva to see if there is something special for your interests. Some folks want to see the United Nations building, others couldn't care less... Also see if there is a special event at the Palexpo (www.palexpo.com/en) while you're passing through, something that you shouldn't miss.

More importantly, let me suggest a route from Geneva to Besançon that you'll love:

If you go via Geneva, turn left just past the Palexpo at Gd Saxonnex, Route de Ferney, and head for Gex, then on the N5 via Les Rousses and Morez and Champagnole to Besançon. Much nicer ride through the mountains than via Lausanne and Vallorbe.

If you stay out of Switzerland, do the same route, first from Annecy toards Geneva on the A41, take the "Autoroute Blanche" Nr. A40 West and quickly exit onto D1201, turn left onto D1206 (west) "Route de Bellegarde", and as you cross the river Rhône you turn right onto D984 to St. Genis-Pouilly and work your way on country roads to route D1005 heading to Gex - now you're in sync with the other route for Besançon. This sounds complicated, but with a good map and a bit of luck it will be a lovely drive.

panyta

Thanks michelhuebeli!Is there any recommended way to avoid entering Switzerland at all? I used to visit Geneva and Lausanne before so they don’t have to be included in my schedule. I am just not sure which way is good from Annecy to Besancon. I love to see natural and scenic views, rather than Lyon…

michelhuebeli

The last para from my previous post covers that route that bypasses Geneva and Swiss territory. I'm repeating myself here, and before you read it (again) bring up www.viamichelin.com or google maps and follow along - this route does not cross into Switzerland. By the way - if you manage a route through the suburbs of Geneva and out again without hopping on to freeway nr. 1 then you're safe, it's only on the major expressways that the Vignette is required.

To stay out of Switzerland, drive first from Annecy towards Geneva on the A41, take the "Autoroute Blanche" Nr. A40 West and quickly exit onto D1201, turn left onto D1206 (west) "Route de Bellegarde", and as you cross the river Rhône you turn right onto D984 to St. Genis-Pouilly and work your way on country roads to route D1005 heading to Gex.

From Gex it's a straight shot to Besançon.

StCirq

I think it's a great itinerary, and if you follow the great advice by michelhuebeli I think that will solve your Annecy to Besançon issues.

panyta

Thanks again. I think I will skip Switzerland and follow michelhuebeli suggested route. This will give me spare 2 days. Is Grenoble worth included for overnight stay?

bilboburgler

I agree about taking the road over the mountains in Bescancon, wonderful little alpine meadows, cheese shops and "uncontaminated" honey places.

If you want to stay in Belgium I'd look at Brugges or Antwerp more than Brussels

michelhuebeli

About Grenoble - what are your expectations? An overnight between which other stops on your itinerary?
The more you check out and move and check into another hotel, the more time you waste, so I would need to know what your intentions are before commenting on Grenoble.

Michael

Take at least a day off Annecy and add it to Brussels. It has things to see: the Horta museum and other Art Nouveau buildings, including the music museum in a former Art Nouveau department store; the Grande Place. A guidebook might be in order if only for the Benelux as a whole.

To whet your appetite:http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...60216715/show/

Gretchen

And to some of us, Brussels would be a drive by. I wouldn't add a day for sure.

Michael

<i>I wouldn't add a day for sure</i>

Then why stay in Brussels at all if all the time there will be consumed by day trips to other places in Belgium, as original planned by the OP?

dwdvagamundo

I would stay overnight in Bruges. Crowds in the daytime make it very difficult to get around, but at nite, it should be magic.

Concur in taking a day off Annecy and skipping Geneva altogether.

If it were my trip, I'd spend more free time in Burgundy.

Gretchen

I couldn't find the final itinerary. I wouldn't spend that much time in that area. Just me. Everyone has their own likes.

panyta

I think now my itinerary would be like this

Day 1 (arrive at 2pm) Amsterdam
Day 2 Amsterdam (museums)
Day 3 Amsterdam (Rotterdam/The Hague)
Day 4 Amsterdam (browsing)
Day 5 take early train (7.18am) to Brussels
Day 6 Brussels (day trip to Brugge)
Day 7 Brussels (day trip to Cologne)
Day 8 fly to Nice (stay with family)
Day9 Nice
Day 10 Nice
Day 11 Nice
Day 12 Nice
Day 13 Nice
Day 14 Nice
Day 15 Nice-Annecy (drive to Annecy)
Day 16 Annecy
Day 17 Annecy
Day 18 Annecy
Day 19 Dijon
Day 20 Dijon
Day 21 drive to the Wedding (Besancon)
Day 22 Wedding day
Day 23 Wedding- Paris
Day 24 Paris
Day 25 Paris
Day 26 leaving Paris in the morning

To be honest, I wish to adjust the program so that I can visit Stasbourg as I always want to go there but not sure what is the best way to include it in. What I can see is perhaps remove Paris or Dijon...

Michael

<i> I am just not sure which way is good from Annecy to Besancon. I love to see natural and scenic views, rather than Lyon…</i>

www.viamichlelin.com will allow you to taylor an itinerary between two point (fast, scenic, with or without tolls and vignette, etc.).

caseyhen

Just my two cents re: Annecy. We stayed there for just three nights back in 2010, when our itinerary included Berner Oberland (Switzerland), flight from Geneva to Nice, Provence, Annecy, and a flight home from Geneva (we flew in and out of Geneva but never did visit the city, as we had been advised; it was a good choice). We loved Annecy, and also took a day trip to Chamonix/Mont Blanc, which we also really enjoyed. I'm happy to see you've left Annecy in your itinerary - you won't regret it.