We are a young couple needing help with our itinerary. We are flying into Zurich and out of Brussels in early February. We have already been to Switzerland, so are planning on leaving Zurich Saturday (we arrive on Friday). That leaves 9 days (we would fly out on the 10th day) to get to Brussels. We like beer, wine, good scenery, and outdoor activities. We've been to Paris/Munich/Prague/Berlin, but are willing to return to Munich/Prague as it has been a few years. Any suggestions on how we should reach Belgium? We were thinking of taking an overnight train to Vienna from Zurich, then another to Cologne, before arriving in Brussels. Are there other cities we should be considering closer to our arrival/departure cities? We are relying solely on public transportation. Thank you all!!
Posted by
Paradise
6663 posts
Cologne is certainly on your route to Belgium. Vienna means quite a detour. Suggest you look into some other new places in Germany. Do a little more research, and you'll probably find there's no reason for a detour to Munich (if indeed you are only "willing" and not "eager" to do so.) I'd look into these places, mostly larger places where you can find some evening fun (it gets dark fairly early in early February) and which lie roughly along your route north from Zurich to Brussels and offer a lot to visitors: Freiburg Gengenbach (gorgeous old walled town at edge of Black Forest near Offenburg) Strasbourg, FR (west of Offenburg) Stuttgart Tübingen (handsome university town near Stuttgart) Heidelberg Mainz (and the Middle Rhine Valley just to the north) Frankfurt
Trier If by "outdoor activities" in February you mean skiing and such, you might find some options in Switzerland or possibly in the Black Forest.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
"We like beer, wine, good scenery, and outdoor activities." Outdoor activities in February are usually limited to winter sports where it's cold enough (ie, mountains). This is also not a great time of year for scenery, because the air is usually very damp and overcast. Everything outside of the cities usually looks kind of hazy and gray. So, if winter sports are not in your agenda, I would stay mostly in cities or large towns. If skiing IS on your agenda, as Russ noted, there are plenty of options in Switzerland and a few more in the southern Black Forest (ie, along your direct route of travel towards Brussels). My favorite skiing destination near Zurich is the mountain town of Flumserburg. It's not too well known internationally, but I found the skiing there fantastic. It sort of functions like the weekend playground for Zurich residents. In the Black Forest, the major ski area is located on the upper slopes of Feldburg, the highest mountain in Germany outside of the Alps. The conditions aren't as consistent as in the Alps, but not as expensive either.