Paris, Switzerland, & Germany for 3 free spirits, in 14 days!

Hiya
We are also winging it through Europe in September, and I read in a Rick Steves guidebook he has had around 1000 nights unreserved in Europe and was only stuck for somewhere to stay 3 times. We are winging it as we want the freedom to change our mind when we want to, and plan to book accom online or by phone a day or two in advance. If you look througth posts in this forum and look for my name (Cathy) some people have given me some good advise re Switzerland.

"...winging it... Does anyone think this is going to be a problem...?"

• Even if hostels and less expensive hotels are available, "unplanned" means you're going to waste a good bit of time in line at TI offices or deciding on and hunting down places to stay on your own. You may find a place, but it may be inconveniently located since the close-in places have already been booked. I prefer spending my time abroad enjoying the stuff I went there to do - not planning. And you'll probably pay more if you wait since there will be fewer options open to you at that time than now.

• It's not always simple to negotiate with friends what city you're headed to next, and when, and where you're going to stay. You can minimize disagreements during your trip by having that arranged. Then the more simple decisions like "What will we see today?" and "Where will we eat?" are all you have to deal with.

• If you book cheap hotels through agency sites like Orbitz, you generally will pay a lot less than if you just show up. I couldn't believe the bargains I got this summer - Motel 6 prices. And using a debit card or credit card overseas always means you will be charged more than you used it at home - no fees for currency exchange when you pay in dollars. You have to use a debit card for small cash, but why pay extra atm and conversion charges for the hotel cash you'll need?

Switzerland: Lauterbrunnen is a lovely town (Valley Hostel) right in the heart of the Alps.

Bavaria: Rothenburg is a swarm of tourists. Try the old walled town of Weissenburg (south of Nuremberg) instead. Try Würzburg for an amazing palace (Residenz). Bamberg and Nuremberg (nice hostel in castle) have lovely old towns. Füssen (Ludwig's castles) is very touristy. See the Rhine castles near Frankfurt instead (the St. Goar, the Diez castle-hostel and Cochem hostels are nearby, unlike mega-city Frankfurt.) Try Würzburg for an amazing palace (Residenz).

Have a good trip!

If you're doing a whirlwind tour (face it, your won't be leisurely) 5 days in Interlaken is too many. However, choose Wengen, Murren or Lauterbrunnen (order of my preference) for 3 nights and add a couple of nights in Lucerne and now you're talking.

We spent 2 weeks in Switzerland and had to trim some desired things to make it fit.

I woudn't travel in peak season without having sleeping arrangements booked at least a couple of days in advance. Your time in-country is valuable anad spending a couple of hours looking for a place is time wasted.

Thank you for the input everyone! I am normally somewhat of a planner, but I think I've been a little lax because of how laid back the other two people i'm traveling with are! They've also been really laid back about the little I have planned so far, basically agreeing to whatever I suggest, so I don't think disagreeing about where to go is going to be an issue.

Another question I have is whether or not I have to bring a lock with me if I plan to use lockers at the hostel. Do most hostels provide locks?

If they are that laid back then you plan and make reservations. Keep copy of your email reservations with you and most important reconfirm 2-3 days ahead of your arrival date.

Know your travel days and print out the train schedules for that day and all can decide which train to take. You can even determine on the train schedule how many changes, etc. Just be at the train stations in Europe EARLY as they leave on schedule.

Some timetables even indicate the platform you will be departing and arriving. Verify when you arrive.

I also recommend the Valley Hostel in Lauterbrunnen. We stayed there for 6 days and did the day trips to the surrounding villages.

http://www.valleyhostel.ch/pages/en/home.php?lang=EN

Stay on the 2nd floor if you can facing the mountains.

Enjoy!

ENJOY!

Cindy, you said your trip is 14 days. Is day 1 your arrival in Paris and day 14 your departure out of Frankfurt? What time do you fly out of Frankfurt?

Day one is an early morning arrival in Paris, and day 14 is departure day at 11 am from Frankfurt back to the states.

Cindy, I second Peter's comment about Interlaken--do one of the other towns he names instead. Interlaken is touristy-to-the-hilt with prices to match. If you're doing hostels, consider the Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald, the village below Murren. However, DO check openings in advance; it's a popular place and fills up fast. Also consider Lucerne, a really "sweet" modest-sized city. It's less than half-a-day beautiful train ride from Interlaken. As for your question, "is 4-5 days in Switzerland necessary?" Truth-be-told, you could spend a delightful month in Switzerland (I have). There's French-speaking Switzerland, German-speaking Switzerland, Italian-speaking Switzerland--three countries in one! The "necessary" depends entirely on what you want to see and do. I'd say that 4-5 days is a bare minimum for anything in that country. Maybe you want to save Switzerland for a future trip when you can give it more time. Or, maybe you just want 4-5 days of a Swiss appetizer.

I'll second the recommendation for Valley Hostel in Lauterbrunnen. It's a friendly, sparkling clean place with three full kitchens- something you'll appreciate when you see the price of restaurant food!

Thank you for all of these suggestions! This is definitely helping me to plan more.

What are the differences between Wengen, Murren, and Lauterbrunnen as far as scenery and activities? If I have to choose only one to visit, which one should it be?

Also, it seems like no one is recommending Interlaken...is it even worth seeing? And what is there to do/see in Lucern?