16 day Itinerary Help

Thanks for your feedback Lindy.

I understand that Eurail passes don't cover England, and that is why A 5 day 3 country Select saver pass ($376) may be more economical for us than a 15 consec day Global saver pass, which costs $593.

One thing to consider is the Global or select pass won't cover England.

I personally would cut something out, you are hitting 4 countries in 14 days with 5 travel days. Consider your first day you are jetlagged. I'm not sure if you are stuck on arriving in London but I would probably land in Paris and leave Rome (or land Rome leave Paris). That way if you want a pass everything is covered.

If you hit bad weather on the 26th, you'll have traveled long and far for nothing.

The Lauterbrunnen valley is a great destination but you'd be better off either staying longer or not going at all.

Of course, it could work out just fine, too--but what's your appetite for risk?

Similar observation about the CT. I'd chose between these destinations and spend more time at the one you pick.

Hello Ali. If you are in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area, I recommend travel to London by being in a British Airways daytime flight from Dulles airport to London Heathrow Airport. It think the airplane departs from Dulles airport at 9:10 A.M., and it arrives at LHR airport at about 7:30 P.M. that day. A night flight across the Atlantic Ocean is something to avoid, if possible.

Ali G, IMHO your Itinerary is possible, but it's far too "busy" for such a limited time frame. I tend to agree with Ron in that it would be preferable to drop Venice this time and add some time to other destinations. A brief stop in Florence is one possibility, but I'd definitely suggest adding some time in Rome (and possibly the Lauterbrunnen area).

On the trip from Paris to the Lauterbrunnen Valley, the train I'd probably choose departs Paris Est at 07:24, arriving Interlaken Ost at 15:57 (time 8H:33M, one change in Karlsruhe, reservations compulsory). I usually try to minimize changes.

If you do decide to go with the 3 country Railpass, if it includes Switzerland I believe it provides some discounts on things like the Schilthornbahn, etc.

On the trip from Interlaken to the Cinque Terre, there's a train leaving Interlaken Ost at 08:01, arriving La Spezia Centrale at 15:18 (time 7H:17M, 3 changes in Spiez, Brig and Milano Centrale, reservations compulsory). From La Spezia you can switch to the smaller local train that goes to the CT villages.

If you decide to drop both Venice and Florence this time, there's a direct train from La Spezia to Rome (no changes, travel time about 4 hours to Roma Termini).

If you decide to try Florence for a brief visit, there's a train departing La Spezia at 09:19, arriving in Firenze SMN at 14:33 (time 5H:14M, one change in Pisa which I specified as a 3-hour change, which should give you enough time to see the Tower, compulsory reservation).

Hope this helps. Good luck and happy travels!

Thanks to all. It's been very helpful so far.

Ron - why do you recommend a daytime flight over a red-eye? To get a good night sleep before the next day in London? Also could you explain these statements, "I think a rail pass would not be a good value for you. Generally, a rail pass for Italy is not recommended. "? I did some rough point-to-point ticket calculations and, given my destinations, it came out to about $500 not including EuroStar to Paris. A Select saver pass for 6 days in 2 months in 3 countries is $410.

In general, is it ok to check out Schilthorn in the afternoon if weather permits or does it tend to get windy and cloudy? Also what's the temperature like up there in June/July. I'm trying to decide to at least pack a fleece jacket.

Looks like I may need to cut a destination. What's the best practices when it comes to booking hotels in advanced vs allowing for flexibility. I'm trying to see whether it is feasible to adjust my itinerary (add/cut destination) on the fly. I will definitely books hotels in major cities up front.

Ali G, I've been to the Schilthorn in Sept./Oct. and on a sunny day it's been quite warm at the top (despite the fact that it's at an elevation of 10K feet). I just checked a photo of myself taken on the observation deck, and I was wearing a travel/photo Vest but no coat.

However, packing a light coat would be a really good idea as you'll be prepared for whatever weather you encounter.

The Schilthorn trip is a bit pricey, but I really enjoyed the visit. Plan to stop for a relaxing lunch in the revolving restaurant, or perhaps a "Vodka Martini, shaken not stirred" in the James Bond Bar which is one floor down from the restaurant.

Happy travels!

Ali...I'm not sure where you did the point to point calculations, but a check of second class fares finds Paris to Interlaken West for 95 Euro, Interlaken to La Spezia at 73, La Spezia-Pisa at 8, Pisa-Venice at 38, and Venice-Rome at 56 Euro. That's about 270 Euro, or about $350 US at todays exchange rate. These are all standard fares and include any reservations/supplements required for many trains in France and Italy, something you'll have to pay extra for with a railpass.

Norm, I must have compared with 1st class p2p tickets because with a rail pass you automatically get 1st class if you are over 26 right? It's definitely good news that 2nd class p2p tickets will actually come out cheaper and give me more flexibility.

Again a question about hotel reservation - Is not booking all hotels in advanced too risky? I know it sounds like a common sense question but I'd love to get some perspectives from those who have done it before. Thanks again.

You'll find opinions from one end of the spectrum to the other on this. Personally, I book most of my hotels before I go....to take advantage of any specials they may have, and to ensure I have a place to lay my head at night. Others say they'll decide when they get into a town or city, especially if they're staying in family-run operations like zimmers, pensions, or hostals. But I don't like spending extra time looking for accommodations...I'd rather spend it sight-seeing!