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Girls only Europe trip

I am planning a Europe trip for my wife & our daughters (11 , 18 year old)

My daughters are mostly interested in visiting smaller villages/countryside and love hiking and nature. They are not very interested in museums during this trip.

They are mainly interested in visiting the UK, France, Switzerland, and Italy.

So far we have booked a one-way ticket to London on June 2nd.

Here is the rest of our tentative itinerary:

~7 days - London 2 days and countryside 5 days

~7 days - Switzerland countryside and train rides( Bernina, Glacier)

~7 days - Paris 2 days and Le Mans like area for 5 days

~7 days - Naples to Capri/Amalfi/Positano/Sorrento

Please advise the best possible use of rail, bus, air, and public transport options during this ~ 4-week trip.

Is the Eurail family pass the best option?

Will prefer direct trains, less time traveling and more time exploring new countries.

Any other "must not miss" locations given her interest in European countryside?

Thank you in advance!

Midwestdoc

Posted by
2311 posts

I would switch the order to:

London
Paris
Switzerland
Italy

From London, take the train to Paris.

The train to “Switzerland countryside” will not be direct.

Getting from Switzerland to Naples will take a while. You could take the Bernini Express (which is scenic but not fast) and make your way to Milan. Then fly to Naples. Or take the train. Either way, it will probably take a couple days from starting the Bernini Express to getting to Naples.

Then you have to figure out where you’ll fly home from. Rome?

Eurail passes are rarely recommended. Your younger daughter will travel for free in Switzerland if you get the Junior TravelPass for 30 CHF. Huge savings. Not sure about discounts in the other countries.

Posted by
768 posts

If your daughters like "visiting smaller villages/countryside and love hiking and nature" then your Switz time should be spent in the Berner Oberland region (around Lauterbrunnen). Take a look at the pictures at https://lauterbrunnenhiking.wordpress.com/
I speak from experience, having taken each of my 3 kids there as teens. (They've seen returned with me to the same area as adults.)

Also, I would move Switzerland as far back in the trip as feasible. That's because there's usually still snow on the higher trails in mid-June, so later is better. You'll also want to book your accommodations as soon as possible, given that you're looking at June. Hotels with available rooms will be hard to find. You might also check out renting a trailer or bungalow at https://www.campingjungfrau.swiss/en