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Flying into Zurich and out of Paris - itinerary help!

Posted by (Cartersville, GA, USA) on

My husband and I are planning our first trip to Europe together this September. We have known that Paris is the top of our travel wish list, and as we have studied maps and spent countless hours on this site and forums, we have decided that we would like to include Switzerland in our itinerary. We have a 12 day trip planned (net 11 nights after travel time) and are considering flying into Zurich and out of Paris or vice versa. As of right now the only additional "musts" we have are the Glacier Express and the Champagne region of France. So our plan is Zurich-Champagne-Paris. Now - I have two questions. My husband is a Porsche enthusiast and has a desire to visit Stuttgart. Is it pushing it to add a day in Stuttgart to this itinerary?

Another question - a friend has asked us to meet them in Munich during our trip. I am concerned this might also be too much for the time we have allotted. What are your thoughts on that?

Thank you for your input! This forum has been an invaluable resource that has saved my sanity in planning this trip!

EDIT: Oh, and if this helps, we were thinking maybe 6 nights in Switzerland, 2 in Champagne, 3 in Paris.

Posted by
20103 posts

I think you need to tell your friend, "Meet us in Stuttgart."

Problem with the Glacier Express is; it goes from one dead end to another. But if you want to do it, I'd go from Zurich airport to Zermatt and spend 3 nights, then Glacier Express to St Moritz. 1 night is enough there, then train to Stuttgart. Hit the Porsche Museum the next morning, then train to Reims for 2 nights, then to Paris for 4 nights and home.

Posted by
7209 posts

That Glacier Express is just a slow moving train through beautiful Switzerland. Switzerland has some stunning areas like the Berner Oberland (Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren) and Zermat. Use your train travel time to actually travel to one of those beautiful places and stay there. See the sights there are to see in those areas without wasting your time being stuck on the inside of a train.

Posted by
50 posts

Sam, I think you are correct! Munich definitely creates a wrinkle in what I am hoping is an otherwise smooth itinerary. I am glad to hear that Stuttgart is doable; as we delve deeper into our travel plans I will see if it works to fit it in.

Tim, do you miss any beautiful scenery by skipping the Glacier Express? I had always imagined when I visited Switzerland that this would be part of the trip. The photos look amazing! But, if it's a waste of time I would love to know. We are very active travelers - we love seeing as much as we can and we stay on the go. Can we cover more ground another way?

Posted by
11328 posts

do you miss any beautiful scenery by skipping the Glacier Express?

Yes, you miss some, but you would miss some by staying in only one place, too. Depends on what you like to do, but Sam has laid out a nice itinerary that punches all the items on your list. Assume you will be back. This taste of Switzerland may have you planning more time there on a future trip.

Posted by
8449 posts

jacey its not a "waste of time". You just don't have enough time in your itinerary given all the places you want to go.

Posted by
20103 posts

I've done the Glacier Express, and it was indeed pretty, but that was on crystal clear Winter day. There is no guarantee about weather.

Posted by
7209 posts

And I guarantee the GEX doesn't have ANY scenery to beat the Lauterbrunnen Valley and the surrounding alpine villages.

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