Need Help WIth 2 Week Itenary

Your plan sounds reasonable. I personally would take a night from Paris and add it to Brugge. I would also stay in Lauterbrunnen vs. Interlaken and make sure you give it a minimum of 2 nights - preferably 3 or 4, and I believe it's actually closer to fly home from Zurich vs. Geneva.

Thank you so much for your response! Can you reach Lauterbrunen by train from Paris.. and.. would you take a train from that area to Zurich the day of your flight or arrive in Zurich a day prior to your flight?

Yes Nancy you can reach Lauterbrunnen by train from Paris. It takes about 6 hours. Most flights from Zurich back to the U.S. are morning flights. I'm doing it in June on American and spending the previous night in Zurich, however I believe some people spend the night before in Luzern which I believe is about an hour from Zurich by train.

OK..I like that. Do you feel it is better to travel the 6 hours by train in the evening? Overnight would be nice but you would probably end up changing trains in the wee hours of the morning. Or is this the kind of train ride that you would want to do during the day to enjoy the scenery?

I wouldn't want to arrive in any unfamiliar city in the dark unless your staying a block or two from the train station. I would do what it takes to arrive at a normal time.

David, could you please explain why you wouldn't arrive in an unknown town after dark or if you did, stay within a few blocks of the train station?

Hi David, thank you for your feedback. I think you make a good point about arriving in the evening. My nav skills are not the best after dark!

Nancy, Your Itinerary looks reasonably good, however I'd make a few minor changes. Does your two week time frame include your flight days? The first and last days will be required for travel, so you may only have 12-days for actual touring. You'll arrive in Europe the day after you depart from the U.S. A few thoughts on each of the places you'll be visiting.... > London - 4 days is about right. > Bruges - I'd suggest 2 days in Bruges. Keep in mind that it's going to take about 6-hours to get there from London, so with one day you wouldn't have much time in Bruges. If you use the EuroStar from London St. Pancras to Brussels Midi, it would be a good idea to buy your ticket as SOON as they're available. You'll probably have to transfer to Brussels Centraal for the trip to Bruges. Have a look at This Website for further information. > Paris - it might be an idea to reduce this to 4 days if you'll only have 12-days "on the ground". Were you planning to buy a Paris Museum Pass? > Interlaken - will you be staying there or somewhere in the Lauterbrunnen Valley? The rail trip from Paris Lyon to Interlaken Ost will be as short as 5H:05M, with one change in Basel (reservations compulsory). > Geneva - were you planning to stay there on the last night prior to your flight home? Did you also look at flights from Zurich? As this is your first trip to Europe, it would be a good idea to read Europe Through The Back Door prior to your trip, as that provides a lot of good information on "how" to travel in Europe. The country-specific Guidebooks have lots of details on sightseeing, transportation, etc. in the places you'll be visiting. Happy travels!

I agree. In most of the major cities I've visited or stay in, I don't stay more than a block or two away from the train station, be it Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, London, Wien, Strasbourg, Paris, Metz, etc. whether in a B&B, hostel, Pension, or small hotel.

A couple of comments. First, travel from Lauterbrunnen to Geneva is about 1/2 an hour longer than Zurich; transfers about the same. So, there is little to choose. I don't know Zurich, but I do know that the airport in Geneva is a short, convenient train ride from town center. I would skip Interlaken and stay at least two nights in Lauterbrunnen. A short day is sufficient for Bruges, but, as said above, it will take quite a while to get there. As much as I like Paris and as much as there is to see, I would definitely allocate no more time to Paris than London, in this itinerary, 4 days is probably sufficient. Then spend the remaining time in Lauterbrunnen.

Thank you to everyone who has offered their suggestions. Ken, can you tell me the best way to travel to Paris from Bruges? I think I will stay one night in Bruges and then on to Paris for the balance of the trip. As much as I wanted to visit the Lauterbrunen Valley, I will save it for my next trip and enjoy London, Bruges and Paris. Thanks so much!

Nancy, "can you tell me the best way to travel to Paris from Bruges?" I'd probably use the train departing Bruges at 11:32, arriving Gare du Nord at 14:14 (time 2H:42M, 1 change at Lilles Flandres, reservations compulsory for the second leg on the TGV). There are other departures from Bruges with a change at Brussels Midi. Lilles Flandres seems like a smaller station, which appeals to me. From Gare du Nord, you can easily get to your Hotel via Metro. There are many departures on that route, but this one should get you to Paris at a good time for Hotel check-in. Depending on the circumstances at the time, your Hotel may not have the room ready until mid-afternoon. Note that these times are subject to change (but probably won't change much). Cheers!