Hi-
I am looking to go from London to Lucerne with a definite stop in Paris. Looking to take approximately 10 days to do this. I'd like to spend about 3 nights in each location unless someone doesn't advise that! I was just wondering if there were any other stops or final destination suggestions. I do see I have to leave from Zurich, not Lucerne. I saw a trip that included Amsterdam and that peaked my interest some as an alternative final destination (unless that doesn't make sense). I am a complete newbie to traveling in Europe! I will be traveling with a family friend who has some experience. We may book this through a travel company but we are thinking about doing independent travel. I am definitely not very interested in bus tours. I just don't want to be overly restricted by a schedule, etc. So besides looking for advice on places to visit along the way, I will also probably need advice on purchasing the train tickets, etc. I see this website has lots of advice though. I just wanted to mention my exact destinations and see if anyone had suggestions on that.
Thank you!
Michelle
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
London - Paris - Luzern (local spelling) with 3 nights in each is a very doable plan.
You won't really have time for intermediate stops, just day trips (Windsor, Versailles, ...). This is easy as a independent trip. You need to book your train tickets 2-3 months in advance to get the best prices. Once you book your ticket, it is for a specific train and it costs money to change it. And then book your hotels ASAP as well.
London to Paris takes 2¼ hours by train, one train every hour. Book at www.eurostar.com/ , if you prefer a timetable you can print out, the current one is here: http://www.eurostar.com/sites/default/files/pdf/timetable/UK_timetable.pdf
Paris takes approx 4½ hours by train. First train Paris to Basel, one train every 2 hours, then change for a connecting train to Luzern. Times and booking either at the French Railways website http://voyages-sncf.com/ or at https://www.capitainetrain.com/
"I do see I have to leave from Zurich, not Lucerne" - assume you mean flying back from Zürich airport. Luzern to Zürich airport is easy, one train per hour direct to the airport. Times and prices on: www.sbb.ch/ For this trip there is no price advantage in booking early, just go down the station, buy a ticket and get on the next train.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you so much Chris! Very helpful! Also, I don't think it matters a whole lot but we have decided to travel Mid-October, if that affects any suggestions from the forum. We needed time to plan, I just can't go during September-beginning of October and I don't like summer heat really.