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England, Paris, Switzerland

Hello y’all!
My mother and I are looking to spend 12-14 days in Europe either next May or September (we want to miss some crowds, but have good weather).

Right now we are considering 5-6 days in England, with London as our base (maybe a day trip to Oxford or Dover?). Then taking the EuroStar to Paris for 1-2 days (we don’t have much interest in seeing much more there than a quick “top hits” tour and enjoying a nice meal). Followed by a final 3-4 days in Switzerland most likely via train.

I live in Dallas and we plan on flying out of DFW with a direct flight to London and returning with a flight out of Zurich.

Any advice? Are we trying to do too much? My mother is almost 70 and wants to do one final “big trip” before she thinks she’ll be “too old” for anything else. Neither of us has any physical limitations, but we are not very interested in hiking, much more into historical sites and local culture. My work gives ample vacation time, but typically limits individual vacation to 12-14 days each so that’s why the time limit.

Posted by
5097 posts

I don't usually like that much moving around, but you have laid out your case very well, and I think it's a good plan!
It'll all come down to the Switzerland details, so I would consult a guide book to see what stands out the most to you first, and simultaneously explore the train line that will most efficiently take you from Paris to Zurich with good stops in Switzerland. I am no expert, but you might look at breaking up the train trip in Lyon. Then from there to Geneva and beyond should be a snap. You will have to be very very selective with your Swiss time.

Posted by
5647 posts

A 14 day vacation includes flying days, right? So maybe 13 nights on the ground? And some days lost to travel on the ground? I'd keep it to two countries.
One week in Switzerland isn't very much, so maybe stick to the Alps ( (Wengen, Murren, or Lauterbrunen) and Lucerne on the last day or two. ( Lucerne has easy access to the Zurich airport.)
Pick up some guide books, watch the RS videos, read the posts here, and further refine your itinerary to match your interests.
You won't miss crowds in May or September anymore in London or Paris. And- Paris is pre- Olympics. Switzerland is better in September, once the snow melts and most lifts are open.
Your mom has many more trips left in her. Many of us here on the Forum won't see our 70th bday again! So glad you can share an adventure together!

Posted by
11798 posts

Funnily enough, we just did a similar route, although over a longer time period. Ours was a mid-trip correction caused by a cancellation, but I think I have info you can use as we’ve visited all three destinations numerous times.

Think nights, not days, to plan where you will sleep for how long. The days between the nights are you full sightseeing days. Take as much time as you can as you are covering a lot of ground.

Arrive London, spend 5 nights, giving you 4 full days to enjoy the sights.

Eurostar to Paris is prefect but give yourself at least 3 nights as that is only two days of sightseeing. You will arrive at Gare du Nord, but stay closer to the sights you want to see, perhaps the 1st, 2nd, or 7th Arrondisment. You will depart from Gare de Lyon anyway, so you might as well stay somewhere suited to your itinerary.

It is very easy to get to Switzerland. Your first leg is from Paris Gare de Lyon and I would send you all the way to Luzern, a little under 5 hours by train. There are a few trains each day that are direct to Zurich requiring no change, and quite scenic. You would change trains in Zurich for a short trip to Luzern. Spend 2 nights. Then take train to Interlaken and on to one of the towns in the Lauterbrunnen Valley (Wengen is really nice in Springtime) where you can spend 3 nights enjoying the mountains with easy walks, scenic gondolas, and cogwheel trains. From there, go to Zurich or back to Geneva for one night before your flight.

That is 14 nights on the ground. Can you swing that, plus the inevitable night on the plane? It’s still a bit rushed for my style but not insane.

Posted by
10631 posts

Paris is my favorite city, but I would advise you to skip it with your limited time. Split your time in London and Switzerland, flying from London to Zurich or Geneva depending on your itinerary there.