My daughter is enrolled in college classes in Paris ending early June 2016. I am flying to meet her with the plans of travelling for 2 weeks around Europe and then flying home from Rome. I asked my daughter what are her "must see's" in Europe and she told me Switzerland, Rome, and the the Greek islands (Mykonos?) The problem for me is that there is no easy way to fit in the Greek islands. I explained this to her and she understands. But maybe someone in this forum would have an itinerary idea for 2 weeks that would work fitting in all these places. We are willing to fly from anywhere to anywhere, but I understand that air travel can be much more time consuming than rail. Any and all responses would be GREATLY appreciated!
Posted by
Hickory, NC USA
477 posts
So, do you already have the return from Rome booked, and that is a definite? Will you fly into Paris and out of Rome with her? Will she have a semester's worth of stuff to schlep around - that will impact how you can travel? Who is limited to two weeks, just you? Do you also intend to visit Paris?
It's pretty easy to train to Switzerland from Paris, I have done it several times. If only you are limited to the two weeks and you aren't spending time in Paris, maybe you could fly to Switzerland and she could meet you there, saving you a day of travel. I like the Lauterbrunnen area and with three nights there, you could get two full days - one to ride up to the Jungfraujoch, and one for hiking.... It would just be a tiny taste of Switzerland and better to add at least one more day and night.
From there it's 17 hours and 4 trains to Rome, OR, 3 hours two trains and flight from the Zurich airport. I would probably opt for the airport unless you are dealing with that semester's worth of luggage... You can find cheap flights using skyscanner but they may only be cheap if you are traveling light. You can also get a cheap flight, searching with skyscanner, from Zurich to Mykonos with a change in Athens. Spend time there and then fly back to finish up in Rome before your flight home...
So, maybe it's possible, but It's hardly ideal. Each day you move places is a day gone from your two weeks and that train from Switzerland to Rome will eat a day and a night. I did trains like that when I was in college, but no more... And you need to consider whether you will be burdened with the luggage which will make traveling more difficult. I know my daughter had a big suitcase and a backpack to deal with at the end of her semester abroad. She was able to leave the big one at her student residence, but then had to backtrack and fly home from there after she collected the it.
Posted by
Rick Steves Europe
354 posts
Hi btowey,
I think seeing all these places is doable in a 2-week period, especially if you fly between Switzerland and Greece and Greece to Rome. There are some direct flights between Mykonos and both Geneve (cheapest) and Zurich, as well as Mykonos and Rome. There are quite a few other flights involving a plane change in Athens. The direct flights don't go everyday, so I recommend using www.skyscanner.com for looking at your options ahead and planning your itinerary accordingly. Below is my suggested itinerary:
Day 1: Depart U.S.
Day 2: Arrive Paris, spend 3 nights
Day 5: Train from Paris to Lauterbrunnen (via Basel), spend 3 nights
Day 8: Train from Lauterbrunnen to Geneve airport, fly to Mykonos, spend 4 nights.
You can take the Golden Pass scenic train from Interlaken to Moontreux on this route, which is a beautiful train trip. See www.goldenpass.ch for details
During your stay on Mykonos, you can take a boat to the nearby island of Delos. This uninhabited island has quite few Greek ruins and makes a great day trip.
Day 12: Fly to Rome, spend 3 nights
Day 15 - Fly home from Rome
You can book the Paris-Basel train ahead and save quite a bit of money. Most of these advance-purchase tickets are non-refundable, non-exchangeable, so be ready to commit at the time of purchase. Tickets go on sale 90-120 days in advance, so buy early for best deals. You can buy these online through the French Rail website - www.sncf.com.
For your train travel in Switzerland, you could get a Swiss Half-Fare card, which gives you a 50% discount on all Swiss train tickets as well high-mountain lifts. See this webpage for details:
www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/switzerland-rail-passes
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
Hopefully Paris is not included in those 2 weeks.
Trying to include all those places, you could do something like this ...
TGV train from Paris to Interlaken for the Lauterbrunnen Valley (3 nights)
Train to Luzern (2 nights)
Fly from Zurich to Mykonos (5 nights) - look at FlyNiki via Vienna
Fly from Mykonos to Rome (4 nights) - look at Aegean via Athens
Fly home from Rome
If you plan on time in Paris as part of your 2 weeks then you are best to say goodbye to Greece.
Note that weatherwise all of these places should be fantastic in early June.