We have traveled extensively in the UK, France, and Iberia, but never in Germany or Eastern Europe. We are interested in building an itinerary from Vienna to Paris, preferably traveling by train. We would like to spend a week or 10 days on the journey.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance for your input.
Can you give a little more information? What are your interests? How long would you like to stay in each destination along the way?
You could do a northern route, up to Prague, then through Germany and the low countries. Or you could go through Austria and Switzerland. But I don't have the vaguest idea of what you would enjoy more.
Honestly, I think this is something you are better equipped than anyone else to figure out. Look at a map, pick the places you are interesting in visiting, and maybe come back with two or three options and ask for feedback.
There have been several quite recent discussions on this forum about the reverse, i.e., going from Paris to Vienna. Use the light gray Search box at the very top center of a page, and put in Paris to Vienna. Then you can narrow down the results to just the Travel Forum and then just the last year. See if any of these ideas are of interest, and take it from there.
Stephen, is the 10 days you mentioned intended to include your time in Vienna and Paris or just the travel time betwern those two cities? I assumed the latter; Mr. E assumed the former.
Anything to avoid the horrors of modern air travel and having to deal with airports like the one in Vienna.
Vienna International Airport is easy to handle, not much waiting time, rather compact layout, self-checkin of bags.
Problems start if travellers are ill prepared for departure, i.e., the number/size/weight of their luggage does not meet what they have payed for, not being aware that certain airlines require a hefty payment if you have not already your boarding pass, having carry-on luggage which is bigger/heavier than permitted, the names on their id does not match exactly the names printed on their boarding pass, the travellers are unable/unwillig to self-checkin and prefer to wait in a long line, carring items which will be seized at the security check, etc.
I don't know what Mr. É's complaints are about Vienna's airport, but I know much worse airports. I guess everything is better in Budapest. :-)
While others argue over nothing to do with your question, here is what I would suggest. It will give you a taste of a few different cultures and histories.
From Vienna, I would take the train to Prague. (4.5 hours). Spend a couple of days there. From Prague, the train to Berlin. (4.5 hours) Spend 2-3 days there. From Berlin, I would head to Strasbourg (about 7 hours) for a taste of Alsace Lorraine. From there it's a quick 90 minutes to Paris.
How much time you spend at each location is up to you but all the trips I mention are done with direct trains and no changes.
By the way, what time of the year are you considering?
acraven, good point. If the 7 to 10 days is time on the ground in Europe, then the OP has 3 more days. With that I would research the heck out of Prague and Budapest, choose one and at the end, fly to Paris from the last stop.
While others argue over nothing to do with your question, ...
@Frank II
Sorry for the short digression from the topic.
acraven. I am so dense. I understand. The OP wants to spend 7 to 10 days on the road between Vienna and Paris. I feel sort of small now. OP listen to FrankII. He and acraven have credentials and are good at this sort of thing.
Thanks to all respondents, but especially to Frank II. Your response was was what I was hoping for, a proposed sample itinerary from someone with experience in that part of the world.
We spend a month more or less each year in foreign travel. So far we have traveled mostly, as I mentioned, in the UK, France, Spain & Portugal. We are no longer so much "church and museum" tourists, although great cathedrals, history and great art still hold our interest. We mostly are interested in what different places feel like, trying to get a notion of how people live in them. We like to spend time enjoying life as a local would (more or less, obviously). We generally like to spend longer stays than my question would suggest, but we want to add a few new places to our album. Our trip this year is intended to be 4 to 5 weeks, and to include a couple of days in London, the more or less 10 day journey of my query, and a couple of weeks in Paris, with which we are quite familiar and I, especially, love.
We find train travel interesting, as well as efficient. Accounting for all the time to and from the airport, getting through security, and other attendant delays, train travel in Europe is not usually slower than flying for short to medium journeys and for me, less tiring. I sit and read and look out the window.
Again, thanks for all the responses.
