Itinerary Critique - 50 days in Europe

I think that yes, this is a bit crazy. ; ) You need to focus or you will be exhausted two weeks in and want to go home. To begin with, I don't think you've factored in travel time. Even by plane you need to factor in time for it. Two days in Paris barely allows you to skim the surface and ditto for London. Intriguing that you have two days in Liverpool Are you a Beatles fan? You need to accept that you can't do it all in one trip and that that is okay. You will come back. You don't have to do it all. Why don't you try ranking the cities and then looking at the geography to see how the different priorities would work. Pam

Hi Natalia,

You have some good ideas about places you want to visit during your time in Europe and that's good! Now, the next step is to map out an itinerary that includes best mode of travel (plane or train) and the time between each of the cities.

You might consider saving London and Ireland for another trip and concentrate on a plan that includes the other cities that you've listed. I'd add 2-3 days each to Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Lisbon, Barcelona and Rome.

After you map out a realistic plan you might find that you'll want to eliminate other cities as well. Rick Steves has some excellent guides (Europe Through the Back Door and Best of Europe 2010 for example) that will help with your planning. Other guidebooks are helpful as well.

Good luck with your planning--I'd research, refine your ideas and come back with a revised itinerary for review.

Locisimo.

You can't do this - you will die. Or, if you manage to survive, you will wish you had died.

First of all, you are simply not being honest with yourself. You say: Day 2: Madrid. Day 3: Paris. Are you planning to instantly teleport yourself from your hotel in Madrid to your hotel in Paris while you sleep? You do not allow any time to travel between cities. That will eat up a whole day. Every time. There goes half your trip (or more).

Make your minimum stay in any major city 2 full days (not counting travel there or away) as an absolute minimum. For great cities like London, Paris, Madrid, Rome, even two full days is not really enough.

Cut out AT LEAST half of your cities. Then, when you're back on Planet Reality, come back and we'll talk.

Natalia,

I have to agree with David's comments in the previous reply. This Itinerary is far too busy, and doesn't allow adequate travel time between destinations.

Another point to consider is that travelling from Buenos Aires to Madrid is a LONG flight and you'll probably be jet lagged for a few days. Depending on which airline and flight you choose, the trip will range between ~13 hours to ~35 hours.

If this is your first trip to Europe, I'd highly recommend reading the Guidebook Europe Through The Back Door. It will provide you with lots of good information, including Itinerary planning.

I'd suggest using open-jaw flights, as it will provide a more efficient Itinerary, without having to return to your starting point.

If my count is correct, you're planning to visit 20 destinations in a 50 day period. That's an average of 2.5 days in each location, with no allowances for travel times. While budget flights are a good option for covering longer distances, the reality is that travel by air will still take a minimum of half a day for travel (travel to and from airports, some of which will be a considerable distance from the city centres, check-in, security, etc.). Travel by train may be ~5-7 hours on some routes as well.

The route you have listed involves some "backtracking" which tends to be inefficient and costly. You might consider starting in Madrid and and flying home from Dublin (if flights are available). What time of year will be you travelling to Europe?

IMHO, you're going to need to drop some of the locations you have listed, and see those on a future visit. As Rick frequently says "assume you will return".

Good luck with your planning!

my suggestion is cut out London, Ireland, Berlin, Prague and Portugal.

Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam (skip Brussels), fly to Italy, Italy, Riviera, and back up to Madrid (or can you fly out of another city - Paris?)

I have taken 60 and 70 days trips to Europe. I tend to stay 3 to 7 days in each city, depending on the size of the city. I simply don't want to move that often. I like much of what Rick Steves has to say, but where I don't agree is time spent in each place. I have met many travellers with similarly fast and packed itineraries as yours on my travels staying in hostels, and for them it was more important to say "I've been to ........." than it was to actually see and experience the place, which takes much more time.

For a 50 day trip I would focus on one region, such as Spain and Portugal, or Italy and France, or Germany and Switzerland and Prague etc, or the British Isles.

You will see all these cities in this time, but how much will you remember? You can go home and say to your friends that you visited all these places, and they might be impressed. But I think they would also be impressed if you said that you spent 50 days only in Paris living in an apartment, and I think they would also be impressed.

Day 1-5 London and area Day 6 travel to Wales Day 6-7 Snowdonia area of Wales Day 9 travel to Scotland
Day 8-13 Inverness and Highlands Day 14 fly to Oslo
Day 14-17 Oslo and area Day 18 travel to Copenhagen Day 19-21 Copenhagen and area Day 22 travel to Prague Day 22-25 Prague and area Day 26 travel to Salzburg Day 26-29 Salzburg and area Day 30 travel to Rome Day 30-37 Rome Day 38 Travel to Barcelona Day 39-42 Barcelona area Day 43 Travel to Madrid Day 44-50 Madrid and area.

This is a mix of places I have already seen and love to revisit and new places. Of course if you ask me tomorrow, I'd probably pick differnt destinations. Realize that if you give yourself time, you will probably enjoy anywhere you go!!! Just don't RUSH!!!!!

Rather than say what you can't do (30 destinations in 50 days, ay!), I'd like to emphasize what opportunities a 50-day trip offers that a shorter tour cannot.

Which is a chance to slow down and really smell the cafe, to get to know the spirit of some new place a little, and also to cover a lot of ground, as you seem to want to do.

In the course of 50 days, you will benefit greatly by varying your pace as well as your venues. Go ahead, zip around from city to city, but then rent an apartment or cottage someplace for a week. See the great sights, but also find the best place to shop for groceries.

You are also shortchanging some of your destinations. It's going to take you a day or a night to get from Munich to Interlaken and from Interlaken to Venice. It's worth it--but you only spend two days there! If it rains one of those days you will regret this decision. (And don't stay in Interlaken, by the way.)

Similarly, two and a half days in Paris seems short rations on a 50-day trip, and so on. These are great destinations--spend some time there!

Finally, although it is hard for me to visualize, your itinerary zig-zags a lot, which means wasting time in transit. In particular, you might consider reconfiguring so that you visit all of your Iberian destinations at the start or end of your trip, flying home from, or in to, London or Berlin.

Have a great trip!

I liked what Adam said about longer trips allowing you to slow down a bit. If you stay in a city longer than 2 days, you can become a "regular" at the corner bakery. You can get to know the man who runs the shop across the street. You can actually know the subway system and remember where to get off. You can learn some of the language. With your itinerary, you'll barely be able to keep track of what country you're in.

I really don't want to leave any city out

Köln, Bonn, Frankfurt, Karlsruhe, Heidelberg, Stuttgart, Nürnberg, Dresden, Bremen, Hannover, Hamburg. That's just in Germany and there are plenty more places to see there.

Vienna, Zürich, Luxembourg, Milan.

Why do people think Europe is only cities? I've spent about 130 days in Germany, but less than 20 days were in cities. Just in Germany you have Berchtesgaden, Allgäu, Bodensee area, Schwarzwald, Mittelrhein/Mosel, Harz. And those are just some of the places.

The point is, you won't see them all, so don't even try. Think quality, not quantity. Extensively research each city and see what you want to see there. Figure about two, maybe three, sites per day. You'll probably want to spend a lot more time in some places.

I counted 21 cities. That means 20 connections - probably average ½ day per. That's over 10 days of travel. If you spend more time in fewer cities, you will also free up some travel time.

Are you going to pack enough clothes for 50 days, or figured in time doing laundry.

Have you ever before spent 50 days traveling, moving every 2-3 days. That's tiring.

Dear Natalia,

Please revise your dream list to honestly reflect the travel needed. In doing this, you will cut your list in half, but STILL will give you a fantastic trip.

When you have done this, please come back for more specific guidance. Have a great trip!

Rather than giving us a dream list of cities, why don't you tell us your interests. Then we can suggest some regions/cities for you to explore. I'd give a major organ and an arm or leg to have 50 days to travel! But I'd want to do more than zip through my destinations. What do you want to experience or learn? What is your passion(s)? Art? History? Architecure? Food? Any of these (or many others) could help define your trip and make choices easier. Takes Rick's advice- assume you will come back again! I'll do another post and give you my "dream" 50 day trip.

Thank you all very much for your opinions! As Bob and Toni said, I wrote down more a wish list than a real itinerary. I already knew it was crazy, and that is why I asked for your advice. I loved that many of you suggested cutting out some destinations, that’s mostly what I expected! The only city I’m not willing to cut out is London, since it’s always been my dream to go there. Maybe some of you don’t find it that interesting because of the cultural similarities; same thing happens to me (as an Argentinean) when I think of Italy or Spain, we are so similar! But what I really expect from my trip is to know different places and cultures, to have different experiences and to mix cities with natural landscapes. Therefore, I won’t either cut out Cinque Terre, Interlaken or the Irish Tour.

I started reviewing my itinerary. I’ve already cut out Spain and Portugal. And I added more days to every destination. I like the idea to stay longer time in a few places so as to feel part of the city. I also look for the time I would spend travelling between cities. I went from 21 destinations down to 14.

Day 1: Arrive in Paris. Days 1-5: Paris. Day 6: Travel to London (2,5 hours trip). Days 6-10: London. Day 11: Travel to Dublin (1,5 hours trip by plane). Days 11-14: Dublin & Irish Tour. Day 15: Back to London (1,5 hours trip by plane) and then travel to Brussels (2 hours trip). Days 15-16: Brussels & Brugges. Day 17: Travel to Amsterdam (4 hours trip). Days 17-19: Amsterdam. Day 20: Travel to Berlin (6 hours trip). Days 20-22: Berlin. Day 23: Travel to Prague (5 hours trip). Days 23-25: Prague. Day 26: Travel to Vienna (4 hours trip). Days 26-28: Vienna. Day 29: Travel to Munich (4 hours trip). Days 29-31: Munich. Day 32: Travel to Interlaken (7 hours trip). Days 33-35: Interlaken. Day 36: Travel to Milano (3 hours trip). Days 36-37: Milano. Day 38: Travel to Florence (2 hour trip). Days 38-40: Florence. Day 41: Travel to Rome (2 hours trip). Days 41-45: Rome. Day 46: Travel to Cinque Terre (4 hours trip). Days 46-49: Cinque Terre. Day 50: Back to Paris.

It will probably still seem a lot of travelling to many of you, but I am happy with this plan. Of course it’s still subjected to change! For those who suggested staying in a sole area, I would love to do that, but I would need more time or know for sure that I will be back. And, although I would love to think that I will go back, I have to be realistic. I’ve been saving up for this trip for years; you should know that 1 euro equals around 5,75 pesos, so it’s very difficult to reach an appropriate amount to travel. Moreover, I plan to start a family after this trip and that will make travelling even harder. Those are probably the reasons why I became so excited and added so many cities to my tour!
Thank you all for reading and giving your opinions, I hope you keep helping me!

OK, that looks like it can be done. And most of it doesn't even look very brutal.

One thing sticks out, though: Milan. To me, Milan is completely skippable. I'd rather spend those couple of days visiting the Rhine castles and seeing Neuschwanstein, or someplace else in Italy (Sorrento, Siena). And two days in Interlaken? I'd skip that and spend a couple days in Normandy or the Loire Valley. I might shave a day here or there from some of the places you're staying 4 days to get to those places.

But overall, your trip now seems like it won't kill you. I might quibble over some of the details, but we all have different tastes.

Have a great trip.

You are backtracking quite a bit, costing you much time and money. Why not land in Dublin, do your tour, then down to London, then over to Paris, after that move on to Belgium and Amsterdam, then over to Northern Germany to Berlin, then start moving South to Munich, etc. ending up in Italy where you can fly home. Please get out a map and figure out a more logical travel plan. Something that keeps you moving in the correct direction instead of East and West and East again or North, South, North.

I like Milan, but I think Berlin is far more interesting. You only have 2 days there! Consider adding more time to this wonderful city.

Natalia,

Your revised Itinerary is an improvement, but I agree with Jo - starting in Dublin would be much more efficient. Some further comments.....

• Milan: as someone else mentioned, I'd also suggest dropping Milan and adding the time to another location, perhaps Florence or Rome. You still need time for travel so this would also free some time for that.

• Interlaken: could you elaborate on your reasons for Interlaken? That tends to be expensive, and most here would probably suggest the Berner Oberland just outside Interlaken (Lauterbrunnen, Gimmelwald, Murren) instead. Gimmmelwald is a big favourite with many. Check their website (www.gimmelwald.ch) for a look at the scenery.

• Ireland travel times: the times you've listed (1.5 hours) are a bit "optimistic". You'll probably find that the trip will actually be ~6 hours, including travel to & from the airports, check-in, security, etc. (I've travelled that route and it typically takes half a day). If you're travelling on RyanAir BE SURE to pack light or you'll pay expensive excess baggage charges!

• Flights: I don't have much information on the flight availability from your area, but using open jaw flights would be the best idea. This would be more efficient and would give you at least one more day, as you wouldn't have to return to Paris for your flight home. Flying inbound to Dublin and outbound from Rome would be a good combination, if that's available.

When in Dublin, be sure to try a pint of Guinness!

I can appreciate your reasons for wanting to fit in as many cities as possible. I'll have another look at your Itinerary later, and will post another note if I think of any further suggestions.

Cheers!

Hi! thanks for the replies!
I'm still polishing the itinerary and I have a couple of questions.
- I am considering cutting out Milan of the trip, and replace it for other Italian location, you suggested Siena, any other suggestions?
- Why some of you suggest skipping Interlaken? Rick Steves reccommends it so much and I've seen beautiful pictures and videos! I really wanna see the Alps...
- Where would you rather go, Vienna or Salzburg? Why?
- I would also like to see some castles. I've already added a visit to Neushwanstein from Munich. Other than that, where would you rather go, Rhine Valley in Germany or Lorey Valley in France?

Waiting for your ideas!! Thankss!

Natalia,

To answer your most recent questions:

• MILAN: My preference would definitely be Siena rather than Milan. That's not to say that Milan isn't worth a visit, but given a choice I'd prefer Siena (Tuscany) or Orvieto (Umbria). Siena is an easy trip by Bus from Florence (in this case Bus is better, as it drops passengers right in town, rather than at the bottom of the hill where the train station is located).

• INTERLAKEN: My impression is that Rick recommends Gimmelwald and the Berner Oberland more than Interlaken. Gimmelwald is one of Rick's "back door discoveries", and he filmed part of his Christmas show there. In that area you could also take a day trip to the Schilthorn & Piz Gloria, the world's first revolving restaurant. This is also the site where part of the James Bond moview "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was made. If you're adventurous, you could also try Paragliding from Murren.

• AUSTRIA: If possible, spend a few days in both Vienna & Salzburg. If only one is possible, I would choose Salzburg as it would be easy to take a day trip to Berchtesgaden or an overnight trip to Hallstatt (one of the most beautiful locations I've seen). The town is older than Rome, and when there you can tour the Salt Mine, which is above Hallstatt.

• MUNICH: Were you planning to tour Neuschwanstein on your own or with a tour company? You might have a look at Radius Tours in Munich. They have an office in the Munich Hbf, and offer tours not only to the Castles but also Dachau, walking tours, etc. Check their website.

• GERMANY: Will you have time to visit other locations in Germany or the Loire Valley in France? One location in Germany that's very popular is Rothenburg ob der Tauber. If you stop there, try to spend one night so that you can take the Night Watchman's Tour. The town is along the "Romantic Road", between Frankfurt & Munich.

Cheers!

Natalia,

One more item - will you be using any of Rick's Guidebooks during your trip. I tend to use them extensively, both for planning and for reference during trips. The books contain an incredible amount of information, and LOTS of listings for budget "back door" Hotels, B&B's and other lodgings in different price ranges. Also, good restaurant and tour information (Museum opening & closing times, admission prices, transportation within cities, etc.).

Natalia- Now you are getting to a manageable trip! I agree that Salzburg is the first choice for Austria- but include Vienna if you can (2 days would be plenty). Here is a link to an article I wrote about day trips from London by train (It is a WONDERFUL city and you will fall in love with it) If the site asks for a zip code use 28208 and if it takes you to current issues, click on "archives" and select Jan./Feb. 2008. Feel free to private message me as my husband and I have been to the UK and Europe more than 40 times.

Hi everyone! I’m loving this forum, you all are so helpful!

Ken thank you very much for your suggestions. I’ve been watching some pictures of Hallstatt and it looks perfect! So beautiful!! I’m definitely adding it to the itinerary! It’s on my way to Munich anyway. I still have to solve the situation Vienna-Salzburg, I guess I would choose Salzburg but I’ll try to visit Vienna as well.

I need to search more about the Swiss Alps, I just wrote down Interlaken, but my purpose is to visit that area, I’m not obsessed with the town! I’ll have your comments in mind
and review that.

I also loved Siena! I think I’ll replace Milan for it.

About the Loire and Rhine valleys, I don’t know if I’ll have the time, I just wanted to know if you think it’s worthy that I add any of those destinations. I could change some part of the itinerary to do so. Actually, at the very beginning I had planned to visit the Rhine valley but afterwards I cut it out. I’m having second thoughts, that’s all. Still, what do you think? Would you change any of the destinations to add that option?

I would love to use Rick’s books but I can’t find them here. I should buy them in the US and have them sent here. I’ve thought about that, but I’m afraid the package would “get lost” in the customs office; it tends to happen here. I would feel safer if they sent it to me by FedEx or UPS, but I don’t know if I can ask that.

Toni, I would love to read your article but I can’t see the link! I will definitely accept your offer and take advantage of all your knowledge!! Thank you very much!!

About the open jaw flights, it would be ideal if I could do that, but as far as I know, that possibility isn’t offered here in Argentina. If so, I believe it would cost me twice the price of a round-trip flight. But I will ask and have the idea in mind! Anyway, I don’t think there are flights to Dublin, I know there are flights to Madrid, London, Paris, Rome and Frankfurt. Of course I will look into that too.

I leave another couple of questions. Do you think I did well by leaving Venice out? I just don’t find it that attractive, and I think it must be expensive and difficult to visit, I don’t know. And what about Brussels and Brugges? Keep them or leave them? What do you think?

I’ll keep retouching my itinerary and waiting for your opinions!!

Natalia,

Regarding your last questions....

• HALLSTATT: It's great that you're going to add Hallstatt to the list. There are two options for visiting there. If you're going by train from Vienna to Salzburg, you'll have to change trains in Attnang-Pucheim. From there it's a short ride to the small station (unmanned) in Hallstatt. The station is across the lake from the village, so you'll have to take Stefanie to get to the village. Buy your ongoing ticket to Salzburg as well, as I don't know of any way to buy rail tickets in Hallstatt. The second method would be to take a day trip from Salzburg to Hallstatt. Have a look at the website for Bob's Special Tours for more information.

• SWISS ALPS: If you want to "experience" the Alps, I can't think of a better location than Gimmelwald. If you want further information on lodgings or how to get there, post another note.

• LOIRE & RHINE: I'll have to take another look at your revised Itinerary. I'm not sure how these could be fit in?

• RICK'S BOOKS: You might send a note to Rick's office (use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of the page). They may know of a bookstore in your area that stocks his Guidebooks. ETBD normally ships via UPS, so if it's not too expensive you could order them from this website (click the "Travel Store" link at the top). If none of these suggestions are possible for you, post another note and I'll try and find a solution for you. If you want comments on which books would be best, post another note and I'm sure the group here will have some suggestions.

• OPEN JAW FLIGHTS: Do you have any Travel Agents in your area? They may be able to find inexpensive flights for you? Check www.kayak.com as that would be a good place to start checking. There's usually a solution, although sometimes this involves more than one flight (ie: flight to London & then immediately to Dublin).

Cheers!

Natalia, Sometimes open jaw is referred to as multiple destinations. See if that will help you. Salzburg is a wonderful place! You will enjoy it.

Ken, when was Piz Gloria built? The only website I could find with reference to the date seems to say it was built in 1969, but the Space Needle in Seattle was built for the 1962 World's Fair.

Thank you Toni for the tip, I searched for multiple cities, and I found the posibility of flying to one city and returning from another! And it costs almost as much as a round-trip flight! Now I will definitely consider that option to avoid wasting so much time traveling.

I'll repeat these questions because in the previous post I talked so much that I think nobody read them.

• I cut Venice out, do you agree with this choice? I'm almost convinced, but I like to hear your opinions about that. Do you think I miss a lot?

• What about Brussels and Brugges? Is it worthy to visit them? How much time? I believe Brugges is much more interesting, or so I read. I would go one full day to Brugges and visit Brussels in my way to Amsterdam.

• What do you think about a daytrip to the Loire Valley from Paris? I saw some agencies offer this option.

That's all for now! Keep writing to me!

Natalia,

Some answers for your most recent questions.....

• VENICE: It would be nice to see Venice if you have the time, as it's such a unique location. However, I find it to be a bit expensive and if other locations are more of a priority for you, then you could certainly drop this from the list.

• BRUSSELS / BRUGGES: If you have time, definitely visit Brugges for at least two days. Given the number of other locations that you want to see, I'd drop Brussels, although you could stop for a few hours to have a look on the way to Amsterdam (you'll probably be changing trains from Brugges there anyway). Hopefully one of the others will have some suggestions on luggage storage options in Brussels.

• LOIRE VALLEY: If you have the time, definitely take a day trip to the Loire Valley! I was there in May & June and that part of France is beautiful! I'm not familiar with the "agencies" that offer day trips out of Paris, but if the price is reasonable then I believe you'd enjoy the tour. Try to pick a tour that stops at either the Chateau de Chenonceaux or Chateau de Villandry, as they're VERY impressive (especially the gardens)!

Cheers!

I am leaving here the last version of my itinerary, for those who come to this post looking for advice or ideas, and also for those who helped me make it.
I'll will probably change some details, since I'll keep reading and researching, but this is the general idea and I'm very happy with it)

Day 1: Arrive in Dublin. Days 1-3: Dublin. Days 4-5: Bus tour to west Ireland (Galway, Cliffs of Moher, Burren). Days 6: Travel to London. Days 6-11: London (including daytrip to Windsor) Day 12: Travel to Paris. Days 12-16: Paris (including daytrip to the Loire Valley). Day 17: Travel to Brugges. Days 17-18: Brugges. Day 19: Travel to Amsterdam (visit Brussels on the way). Days 19-21: Amsterdam. Day 22: Travel to Berlin. Day 22-24: Berlin. Day 25: Travel to Prague. Days 25-26: Prague. Days 27: Travel to Vienna. Days 27-28: Vienna. Day 29: Travel to Salzburg. Days 29-31: Salzburg (including daytrip to Hallstatt). Day 32: Travel to Munich. Days 32-35: Munich (including daytrip to Neuschwanstein). Day 36: Travel to Gimmelwald. Days 36-38: Gimmelwald. Day 39: Travel to Cinque Terre (maybe Vernazza). Days 39-41: Cinque Terre. Day 42: Travel to Florence. Days 42-44: Florence. Day 45: Travel to Rome (visit Siena). Days 46-50: Rome.

Thank you all for your help! Of course this is not it! I will keep posting but I'll probably have more especific doubts and then I'll post them in the appropriate place.
See you around!

Natalia,

Your Itinerary is looking much better! It's great to see that you've allowed adequate travel times between locations.

If you need further information on how to reach Gimmelwald, post another note.

Did you find a source for the Rick Steves Guidebooks yet?

Cheers!

Natalia, I'd cut out Brussels on the way to Amsterdam, and just spend the time in A-dam. If you find that's too long there, do a day trip to Haarlem, which is about a 20-30 min train trip. It's a cute little town, very walkable.

Hi Ken! I'm gonna accept your offer and ask you how to reach Gimmelwald! I haven't had the time to look into that yet, so if you help me, it would be great!

About Rick's book, I found a book shop here that offers some of his books online, but not "Europe through the back door", so today I sent them an e-mail asking if they can get it for me.

Elaine, Haarlem looks beautiful! I'll take your suggestion into consideration and probably go there!
Lots of people have told me that Brussels isn't worthy, so I'll probably end up not going! I have to listen to people's opinion in this matter; judging for the pictures I see, I would go everywhere!

Well, thank you again, I'll keep listening to you!

Natalia,

Here's the method I prefer for travel to Gimmelwald:

On your trip to Gimmelwald, you'll first arrive at Interlaken Ost (east) rail station. Note that there are two stations at Interlaken, East and West. When you arrive, go inside and buy a ticket to Gimmelwald. This ticket will include all modes of travel. If you're travelling with a Railpass that includes Switzerland, there may be a discount on the ticket, but I'd have to verify that.

Board the Berner Oberland train for the trip to Lauterbrunnen (this is what it looks like)....

When the train arrives in Lauterbrunnen, walk across the street and wait for the yellow Post Bus. It will be timed to arrive at about the same time as the train.

Take the Post Bus to Stechelberg (about 15 minutes or so). You'll know when you've arrived, as you'll see the Cable Car terminal. Walk up the steps, go through the Turnstile and board the next Cable Car.

The first stop on the Cable Car will be Gimmelwald (Murren is the next stop above Gimmewald). It will be an easy walk to whereever you'll be staying, as distances are short. If you're staying at the Mountain Hostel, the Gimmelwald Pensione or Esther's, the walk will only be about one minute or less.

When you leave Gimmelwald, you can buy your return ticket at the Gimmelwald cable car station.

Have you managed to obtain any of Rick's Guidebooks yet? Are you planning to buy any of the country-specific Guidebooks to take while you're travelling?

Hope this helps.

Cheers!