Itinerary Help

This is a very well-thought out itinerary, and quite do-able. You have obviously put some time and thought into planning what should be a great trip. As for suggestions...well, one would be to fill the open days in your plan as follows: July 7, TGV Paris to Strasbourg (2 hrs). July 8, 9 in Strasbourg with day trip to Colmar. Then you might either as planned go to the Bernese Oberland (Bern is about 2.5-3.5 hrs from Strasbourg) or perhaps go from Strasbourg to the Rhine Valley; from there to the Bern area; from there to Munich, and finally Munich to Frankfurt and home. (or home from Munich Airport)
Another possibility might be to drop Munich and add the Riviera and Milan/Lake Como area. Thus Paris to Nice to Milan/Lake Como to Bern to Rhine Valley to a gateway airport home (Frankfurt, Cologne, perhaps even Brussels). Or (there are infinite possibilities, I'm afraid) begin in Nice on the Riviera, then Milan-Switzerland-Rhine Valley-finish in Paris & home. That would provide a very relaxed start to recover from jet lag and also it would finish with a bang. Whatever you choose, there will be many wonderful places left out-but that is the joy of travel. It gives you a reason to return.

Your itinerary looks good to me. As for another area to explore, we just spent a few days in the Burgundy region, specifically Beaune. It's a smaller town close to the vineyards. The town of Dijon is also in the area. I'm sure others will have some great suggestions also.

After paris you could aim at either Alsace (Route du Vin) or Black Forest. both seem to fit into your route. Burgundy or Champagne are possibilities but probably more attractive to serious wine buffs

Hi Katie, The "stars" of the Burgundy appellation are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. So, you can certainly drink some of the best white wines of the world there. Beaune is a beautiful walled city and, with the surrounding vineyards, is one of my favorite places to visit. Enjoy!

Katie, I agree with the others that your Itinerary looks well sorted. One possibility for the segment of your trip right after Paris, would be train to Colmar, with a day trip to Strasbourg, Eguisheim or other locations in that area. It's somewhat "on the way" to your next destination, so a logical route and a beautiful part of France. I was in the Alsace a few months ago, and I definitely agree with the Guidebook in terms of using Colmar as a "home base" and day-tripping to Strasbourg. I really enjoyed my stay in Colmar and although Strasbourg was nice, I found it too large and crowded. During your time in Munich, a day trip to Salzburg or Neuschwanstein are easily possible. Another possibility would be Berchtesgaden, and tours of either the Dokumentation Centre or the Salt Mines. With a bit more time, you could add Hallstatt (one of the most beautiful locations I've seen). I was also in Bacharach a few months ago, and it makes an ideal "home base" for touring the Rhine. While there you could also take a day trip to visit Burg Eltz on the Mosel (it's a bit of a long day, but very enjoyable). Happy travels!

Katie Two days in London would be crowded with activity, and there would be much left unseen, but you would have a wonderful time. If you do it at the start of the trip you may be too jet-lagged to enjoy a play. Theatre is one of the truly great things about London, but to fully enjoy both nights you might want to run the itinerary in reverse so that you finish in London. Make time for afternoon tea (check out the suggestions from posters on this topic on this site). You could, however, kill 2 birds with one stone by taking tea in the Great Court of the British Museum as a museum break. Plan for dinner in Covent Garden so you can stroll and enjoy the lively market. Take Rick's Westminster walk. Go early to the Tower of London and be there when it opens. If it isn't pouring rain, walk through Hyde Park.
That is two full days, but great ones. James was right to suggest London...I wish I had thought of it.

Use the German Rail website to get you schedules and, for segments beginning and/or ending in Germany, to book your trips. You can book Europa-Spezial tickets from Interlaken Ost to Munich for as low as €39 pP. You can get a SparPreis ticket from Munich to Bacharach for as low as €49 for both of you. You get these tickets by ordering in advance (3-92 days) from the Bahn website. These tickets are train specific, non-exchangeable, but if you can commit early, you can save a lot. For Salzburg and Füssen, use Bayern-Tickets. These are all-day (after 9 AM workdays), on/off passes for regional trains. They are always available without advance purchase for €28 for up to five people.

Katie That sounds like a really well balanced, well paced trip. Your ???? is a bit of a challenge. I like the Beaune idea particularly if you like cycling or wine or neat architecture. It has a really nice small town atmosphere, yet everything you might need. Have you considered Lyon, especially if you would be temped by the most excellent (going out on a limb here) food in France. Or you could skip ????, go straight to Switzerland, love it, and on to Munich, adding some of the time there, seeing Andechs, Neuschwanstein and Salzburg. Trust me, you'll love it. You're not stretched now, and if you leave out ??? you won't be stretched around Munich either. Sounds like a wonderful trip. If I take the tunnel over to Paris can I go in your suitcase?

Thanks for all of the great suggestions, so far! The idea of the French Riviera, Milan, and Lake Como is very tempting, but I've struggled with this in the past, and have to stick to my decision to leave Italy to another trip, all on it's own. It's so hard when you want to go everywhere and see everything! I'm intrigued by Beaune, as we do enjoy both wine and cycling. I'll have to do some more research. Since it's in the Burgundy region, is the wine mostly red? I'm more of a white wine drinker, but I'll try reds here and there, as well. As for the suggestion about spending more time in Munich, how many days would you suggest for exploring Munich itself? In the current itinerary, we have 4 full days and 2 partial days where we plan to sleep in Munich, and have that be our home base. How many days would you recommend we explore Munich and how many for possible day trips? Nigel, you're more than welcome to climb in my suitcase, but I must warn you that I'm going to try to follow Rick's advice and pack only a carry-on :).

James, I like your suggestion of London. We had originally tried to work a visit to London into this trip, but just thought we didn't have enough time. Do you think the 3 nights/2 full days we have open will be enough to see London?

I like your itinerary, you're pacing yourself well and are not running yourself ragged. My vote would definitely be for Beaune or Colmar, for a seamless fit. IMO, London should be kept for another trip and is worth at least 5-7 days on its own. If you're flying from New York, you can fit London in at any time of the year for a "shorter" vacation all to itself. London has so much to do that you don't really notice the weather... plus, if you keep an eager eye on seat sales, you can swing a good deal if you go "off-season". I love London in March, when the tulips give you an early taste of Spring! I agree about keeping Italy for a longer trip, all to itself.

Katie, the white wines from the Chablis area in Burgundy are astonishing. (Alsatian wines are not exactly slouches either.) The Cote du Beaune are is all about reds, though that doesn't mean you have to drink them. Burgundy is mostly rural, la France profonde, with some delightful small towns. A car, or openness to cycling (easy out of Beaune, where there is a very helpful rental shop) is helpful. Alsace is perhaps a little more culturally rich--you'll find museums in both Colmar and Beaune, but the ones in Colmar are not all about wine. If you do rent a car, you should probably plan on returning it when you leave France. Have a great trip!