Paris, the Swiss Alps and Germany?

Katdavid, To begin with, I'd suggest using open-jaw flights, perhaps inbound Paris and outbound Munich. With only a very short 11 day time frame, it's the most efficient method, and will provide more time for sightseeing. Could you clarify whether your time includes your two flight days (you'll generally arrive in Europe the day after you leave home)? Also, don't underestimate the effects of jet lag. You'll be tired for the first few days, so won't be up to full "touring speed". As this is your first trip to Europe, I would highly recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door prior to your trip. It has a LOT of good information on "how" to travel well in Europe. Use the country-specific Guidebooks for hotels, restaurants, sightseeing and transportation information. Could you also clarify where in the Swiss Alps you might like to visit? The usual favourite here is the Berner Oberland (Lauterbrunnen Valley), just outside Interlaken. Travel by rail is by far the quickest, most efficient and easiest method. You can research rail trips by using the bahn.de (German rail) website. One point to note is that many cities have more than one station, so you'll need to determine which stations you'll be using. For travel from Paris / CDG into the city, you may find it helpful to have a look at the excellent Paris By Train website. Another location you could consider in Germany besides Munich is the Rhine area near Bacharach and St. Goar. It's very picturesque, with great Castles and you could take a short cruise as well. If you choose that area, your return flight would be easier from Frankfurt. Happy travels!

Thank you for your reply! We have our flights already in and out of Paris, due to us meeting from different locations and availability. So that cannot change. We have been to London many times, and Ireland, but never to France, etc. My husband has flown into Paris for a meeting or two, but really not done any sight seeing. Yes, you are right about the jet lag. I was counting the day we fly in as day one because we will have the entire day. But that may be shot due to lack of sleep and lag. I did not count the day we leave. Perhaps we should spend more time in paris then? We were thinking the Lauterbrunnen area in the alps. I have always wanted to visit the alps! We both love to hike and be outdoors. We don't want to feel rushed, but it would be nice to see a bit of Germany. Do you think 3 days in the Alps is too much?
Thank you for the suggestions on reading! Kat

Hi Kat, Just wanted to give my opinion on your question "Do you think 3 days in the Alps is too much?" No. I'd suggest 4 nights (which is 3 full days). Look into Wengen as your base in the Berner Oberland/Alps. Maybe add a night or 2 in Lucerne. Your original post seems to be 11 nights total, including your first 4 in Paris and your last night in Paris before the flight home. That leaves 6 nights. Check travel times between the places your looking at. They're pretty long distances. 6 hour train rides are going to take a lot of time away from time spent in destinations. Paul

Hi Paul, Thanks for your reply!
Yes, we are re-thinking Germany for another time. I think we will spend 6 days in Paris and 4 in the Alps, then return for one night to Paris before heading home. Perhaps Germany will be an entirely different trip. So much to do and see! Thank you for the recommendations in the Alps too! Kat

Kat, I think you are wise to trim your sails and save Germany for another trip, given that you have so little time. You do not say when your return flight is, but if it is late enough in the afternoon you might consider the following, to give you a taste of German culture in France's Alsace region. There is a direct TGV from Strasbourg, in Alsace, to Charles deGaulle that arrives at the airport a little after noon. A quick local train to Strasbourg leaves Colmar, a charming small city in Alsace, at 8:37. So instead of hanging around the airport the last night of your trip, which is an anticlimactic ending, you could spend the afternoon and evening in Alsace and take the train to your plane the next day. You'd need a flight after 3 pm for this to work, however.

Adam, My plane leaves Paris at 10:30 am (on the 12th day), so that would be out. But I'm wondering if an overnight could be done on our way to the alps? That would depend if there were a train from Paris to Colmar. We could spend the night and then go on to the Alps the next day. Something to look into. We have been talking about leaving our city luggage in Paris at our hotel, so when we go to the Alps, we bring clothing and such for that part of the trip. Thanks for you advice!
Kat

Katdavid, Spending at least one night in Colmar would be a great idea (or even two nights)! It's a beautiful smaller town with picturesque canals, great hotels and nice restaurants. While there be sure to visit the wonderful Unterlinden Museum. There are absolutely trains from Paris to Colmar, and the travel time is about 3 hours. There is one direct (no changes) departure from Paris Est at 10:55, with a travel time of 2H:53M (that's the one I'd use). Travel from Colmar to Interlaken is also only about 3 hours (usually with one change at Basel), so that will be a convenient route. The trip back to Paris will be a bit longer, about 5 hours. I'd use a departure from Interlaken Ost at 10:30, arrive Gare de Lyon at 15:37 (time 5H:07M, reservations compulsory, one change at Basel and then TGV to Paris at 300 kmH)! Cheers!

Excellent! Thank you Ken! Kat