12 Days Euro Trip – France, Switzerland, Italy

Euro Trip – 2 words that people all over the globe have as their Must Do! It lives up to the hype for sure. We had the first experience of the same covering 3 countries France, Switzerland & Italy with just touching Germany for the OktoberFest (who would leave this, right?)

3200km, 13 cities, 4 countries (+1 crossing) and 1 amazing road trip!

We did this trip in the month of October when winters are just approaching but it’s not yet time for the freeze! The cities we covered were Paris, Munich, Zurich, Lucerne, Schüpfheim, Interlaken, Jungfraujoch, Como, Milan, Serravalle, Nice, Cannes, Grenoble!

Now before you start packing your bags & look for the next flight to Paris; here’s a quick guide for the same –

• What is the best time to visit?
  • Avoid peak summers & peak winters. Europe is good always 🙂
• What should I pack?
  • The best of everything you have. Beachwear, Winter wear, Formals … Bring it on!
• Where should I stay?
  • There’s a string of options ranging from Airbnb to hotels in all major towns. Where we stayed is given below
• How much money do I need? (acceptable currency is Euro/CHF)
  • A very table top estimate:
    • Self-drive car for 9 days (4×4) – 500~900 Euro/80k INR (pro tip: get it from Orly instead of CDG, it’ll save you a fortune)
    • Quite decent Hotel or Airbnb/night (luxury has no limits 🙂 ) – 14k ISK/ 9k INR/ 130 USD
    • Meals (breakfast mostly in hotels) – 5-10 Euro
    • Fuel – Diesel fuel efficiency approx. 10km/ltr; 1.6 Euro/ltr approx.
  • What to visit?

Well, here it goes:

Day1

Journey: Airport -> Friend’s place/hotel -> Montmartre – > France Quay by Seinna -> Eiffel (night)

Stay: Paris – multiple hotels/Airbnb. We stayed at a friend’s place

It’s your first day. Tired? Jet lagged? Need to relax, right? Grab a good breakfast & take some rest. Get dressed; you’re going to visit one of the best-dressed cities on this continent. The ladies, the gentlemen, even the kids… visual delight of fashion! First, head to Montmartre. Walking to the La Défense station gives you a good perspective on architecture & corporate evolution of Paris.

The Paris metro/tube/underground has a good network that will take you to a walking distance of any place you wish to visit in the city. Montmartre, a cathedral situated at almost top of the city, boasts of great Roman art & architecture. Outside the cathedral would be a swarm of tourists (just like us) overlooking the beautiful sunset whilst enjoying a beer or simply getting clicked. On your way down, you’ll encounter happy stairs (just like the ones in Singapore) and get to experience the vibe of what European relaxation means. Yes, I’m talking about open-seating cafes offering the best coffee, pizza, cakes & bakes.

Photo by DAVID TAPIA SAN MARTIN on Unsplash

Next, head to Musee d’ Orsay alongside river Siene. You may choose to visit the museum or just chill along the riverside. A sunny weather simply enhances the beauty of this city.

We were fortunate that as part of Breast Cancer awareness week, there was an event organised at the Eiffel. The experience of witnessing Eiffel under sparkling pink lights (as opposed to standard yellow) was surreal. Not bad for a first encounter with Eiffel.

Time to end the first day!

Day2

Journey: Palace of Versailles -> Champs-Élysées

Stay: Paris – multiple hotels/Airbnb. We stayed at a friend’s place

Today is the day to visit Palace of Versailles. It is relatively long journey from La Défense & then beautiful stroll to the palace. Autumn makes the pathways ‘Oh! So Beautiful’ with leaves transforming them into such a picturesque sight.

Don’t worry about the long queue at the entrance of the palace. The tickets can be booked online OR you can get them at the office situated at the block on the left side. The palace is very well maintained and the guided tour explains the journey well. The gardens are immaculately curated & landscaped. The buggy ride is optional (read as avoidable)!

After you are done with the palace, you can head to Champs-Élysées for a night stroll along the high street. The best of brands and extravagance of Parisian fashion can be experienced here.

Day3

Journey: Hotel -> Arc de Triomphe -> Champs-Élysées -> Louvre -> Eiffel -> Cruise

Stay: Paris – multiple hotels/Airbnb. We stayed at a friend’s place

Grab a good bite in the morning. This is the typical tourist day in Paris. Head to Arc de Triomphe first thing. To be honest, it is just India Gate with an option to climb to the top. The photo spot made for getting the best pictures with the structure is bound to have a long queue (Tom Cruise had zoomed past that very spot in the famous Mission: Impossible scene) so get it done with ASAP. Going to top of Arc de Triomphe is a good and informative experience with some of the best views of the city. Tickets are available on spot without a hassle.

Next, if you wish, you may want to visit some stores on Champs-Élysées. Good luck trying to get past the Chinese into the magical LV store! 😛 A&F has a great store there with one of the most royal & flamboyant entrance pathways (Must visit)

Head to the Louvre next. If you’re interested in what is deemed as the best art collection, do get your tickets online & plan at least 4 hours. Else, do what everyone else seems to be doing – try to get the best shot with least number of people photobombing your frame!

Next stop – Eiffel Tower! Well, it goes without mentioning that you HAVE to try the exotic boulangeries and bakeries on the way. There are 3 options to experience Eiffel –

• get clicked from the ground floor (free and available 24 hours) OR
• climb 700 steps to the second floor observation deck (get tickets online please) OR
• take the elevator to the summit (get tickets online please and book well in advance as you might not get the desired slot).

We chose to climb the 700 steps. It is tiring but you can fully appreciate the vision & quality of architecture and construction only once you climb those stairs through the tower. Staring down from the glass observation deck at the first floor was scary at first (Duh! it was only the first floor). Gift shops, restaurants and coffee shops are available at both floors. We were lucky to have planned viewing the mesmerizing sunset from atop the Eiffel!

Post your descent, you can head to the cruise (tickets are available online as well as on site). It is a good experience to cruise along river Sienna while knowing interesting facts like 0km Paris is neither Eiffel nor Arc de Triumph but the now burnt Notre Dame. Recommended only on bright sunny afternoons to get the max juice out of it.

Day4

Journey: Paris -> Munich (Oktoberfest babyyyy!!!!)

Stay: Munich – few hotels/tents. We stayed at Wies’n Camp

Today is the day of the long European Drive! We headed to Orly first thing in the morning to pick up our car. This day will fulfil all your expectations of the beautiful countryside of Europe. Here’s to 800 KMs…

Lush green landscapes, bright blue skies slowly turning grey, straight roads, the best German luxury on roads… what more do you need?

Oh! And dare I mention – Autobahn baby!! A Merc van with 6 people (& suitcases) getting clocking a 180 kmph is such an adrenaline boost. And this highway has opened my mind to a whole new dimension of existence of Audi, Merc, BMW & Porsche. Germans – You truly are deriving the full potential Germany of your innovations. Just a small request Germany – Never…. Ever… Ever… put speed restrictions on the Autobahn! Never! (Having driven an Audi R8 on Indian roads, I can only imagine what that baby will do here)

Fun Fact : I still do not know how true this is but I felt it very strongly; Whenever you drift onto the lane markings on German roads, the tyre makes a unique pinching high pitched sound (It’s no Music to ears). Have you really graduated to that level or were you German engineers simply bored? Try it for yourself!

Pro Tip : Get good warm layers, mattress, sleeping bag, blanket or all depending on your ability to handle chilly nights without heating (They are available on rent too at the camp (at a premium))

Day5

Journey: Munich (Oktoberfest) -> Zurich

Stay: We had planned for Wies’n Camp but couldn’t handle another rainy chilly windy night in tents (We’re not 21 anymore :p)

It had rained the whole of last night and the tent just seemed that it could blow away or start floating at any point in time now. Get up early & get done with the toilets before queues start becoming so long that people start soiling anything that is usable (gross, but yes it happens… It is Oktoberfest!). Ladies, get dressed in the traditional Dirndl dress (available for purchase/rent at the camp as well) and Gents, the tradition advocates your attire for the day as well.

The whole city just magically transforms into the medieval town with all the lovely ladies around (the gentlemen, well not so lovely … more so weird). The train station is walking distance from all these camp sites. Get a day pass from the poor single vending machine (that would not have seen so many (dressed) people at that station.  The train announces the station that is closer to Oktoberfest venue (or you may simply follow the Dirndl adorned crowd). The venue is a good 10-15 minute walk from the station and once you’re there – welcome to the Merry Madness!

Beer! Folk Music (singing included)! Traditionally dressed beautiful people! Some more Beer! Carnival games & merchandise! Put some more Beer here! Police that won’t take any action until 24 hours if people go missing (yes, we did that too)! And that’s pretty much it.

PS: IT IS A MUST EXPERIENCE IN LIFE (We don’t even drink beer and we’re saying this). If you have a large group and a full day, book a table well in advance (approx. 250 Euros) or you can order by standing beside any table.

We did not have the capacity to stand another night in the tents & left for Zurich that night itself. On your way out of this lovely city, you’ll witness the Allianz Arena (home of Bayern Munich football club). Although being a Liverpool loyalist, I paid my respects to this ground of some great football and we left for Switzerland. Do note that you will be briefly crossing Austria & there is a café cum fuel bunk right at the border crossing of Germany, Austria & Switzerland that you must stopover at. There’s nothing too significant there but simply being at the geographical crossroads between 3 countries is a moment to reckon! We just got lucky that we took a break there & did not realise the same until we read our peeing receipts offering a discount next time we took a bio break in Austria (never a part of the plan)!!!

Day6

Journey: Zurich -> Lucerne -> Schüpfheim

Stay: We stayed at an Airbnb in Schüpfheim

Zurich, an unplanned stop in Switzerland turned out to be worthwhile. The mattress in the cosy centrally heated hotel room seemed to be a luxury that was fully relished & we got a good rest. The morning was fresh with clear blue sky and the golden sun shining bright. It was time to explore this city. The city centre with old town and waterfront were a delight & crazy rich! The money was showing in the cars, the cafes and everything that this city offered!

We then headed to Lucerne. Road to Lucerne offered the scenic green Switzerland that we had seen in every poster or movie. This sparsely populated country has so much to offer naturally that it seems all too logical to be concerned with overpopulation already! The Chapel Bridge is an attraction worthy of its money. This beautiful rose clad old bridge is a delight to watch and walk through. Leading us onto the many open seated cafes and bars along the waterfront was the perfect culmination of our welcome into Switzerland. A Starbucks with this view… the best ever savoured!

We then headed to Schüpfheim to our Airbnb apartment with the views getting better & better. Watching cows grazing on the seemingly stunted hills (we come from the land of the Himalayas) was a pleasurable drive.

The apartment, hosted by a lovely Chinese woman, was just perfect. We prepared dinner, said grace and laughed our way through the night.

Day7

Journey: Schupfheim -> Interlaken-> Lauterbrunnen -> Jungfrau (Top of Europe)

Drive down the hills to the Interlaken area (the drive down is superb) and get to Lauterbrunnen station. Here, you book the tickets to Top of Europe (Junfraujoch). There is a multilevel cark park at the station. This is a costly tour (everything is in Switzerland) but in our opinion, the worth is derived solely from the sheer magnificence of engineering that takes a train to Top of Europe (11300 sq ft elevation). If you are able to appreciate this engineering marvel, you’ll come down a happier tourist.

Attractions on this tour include an ice museum, viewing galleries (Sphinx Observatory) to peaks of significance with the famed picture spot of the Swiss flag, highest Lindt chocolate store, a Bollywood restaurant and a small hiking trail.

Funny story: on our way back to Schüpfheim, GPS mislead us to take a path through a thick dense forest with single lane roads atop hills with us being the only ones driving through the night & only the moon to follow us. After a good 40 minutes and a continued traffic announcement in German (gibberish for us) on our radio, a God sent vehicle finally joined us in our quest of finding civilisation and we made it!

Day8

Journey: Schüpfheim -> Como -> Milan

Stay: We stayed at an Airbnb in Milan

It was now time to say goodbye to Switzerland and head south to the much needed warmer temperatures. Another border crossing today! First stop – Lake Como. Entering into Italy, it came across as a rustic yet developed country. It gave that feeling of having a rich history and modern technology had still not engulfed everything that the Roman empire gave this country. Como was a good welcome into the country. A beautiful lake with open pizzerias around and tight streets with a relatively heavy vehicular flow was a much needed change. The people were so warm & welcoming!

Next we headed to Milan. Checked into our apartment and got changed. We then headed to Navigli for dinner. Tight lanes, cars parked all along every street, trams and a good flow of people dominated our stay in Italy. This structured commotion in the city meant many people called it home. Navigli street is one of the main attractions of the city and almost every other attraction is close by. This canal side street with cinematic arch bridges and Italian eateries on both sides was an experience to cherish (surprisingly the food, not so much). Stroll across Navigli was the highlight.

Duomo, the cathedral with ‘The Last Supper’ was close by and although it was closed at night, it was well lit up and the area around was bustling with nightlife. Flashy lights and music drew our attention to a party close by (Luck – it was the Milan Film Festival) and we danced to the groovy music.

Day9

Journey: Milan -> Serravalle

Stay: We stayed at an Airbnb in Milan

The next morning, queue to visit the Duomo was quite large and we decided to give it a pass. There’s a flea market right next to the Duomo which must be visited.The vendors have the prettiest jewellery and souvenirs. <3

We headed to the National Museum of Science & Technology. This is perhaps the best museum we’ve visited so far with the collection ranging from art, war craft, automobile engineering, futuristic predictions, climate change, gastronomy, ship making, rocket shuttles, train engine evolution to the landmark event of human history: Moonrock from Apollo 11.

It just brings out the curious child in you alive. The café right opposite the exit of the museum was a respite. We were sure Navigli could not fully explain why the much famed Italian food did not appeal to us. This café solved this puzzle and settled in for good. The best food & coffee (Howard Schultz fell in love with the romance of coffee making and the café Barista in Milan that gave birth to Starbucks) EVER! Go and find these little neighborhood cafes and taste the best of Italy!

One of our Instagram friends told us about Serravalle Designer Outlet and we went there. About 80km from Milan, this place was designed for luxury shopping and leisure. Half a day was too less it seemed later. Gucci, Armani, Fendi, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers … you name it & you got it! That too at a discount (15%-60%). We shopped a little and went back.

Day10

Journey: Milan -> Nice -> Cannes

Stay: We stayed at an Airbnb in Cannes

Our initial plan was to visit Pisa and then head back to France but seemed like it would become too much of a travel and we won’t be able to do justice to the French Riviera. And rightly so, Nice and Cannes just blew us away. Paris, by no measure, is a reflection of France. If you wish to visit France, go to south of France. Heading back to France was a lovely drive with more scenic views of the countryside (and now coastline too). Nice was a lovely city with very close to nature and some great beaches. There’s an airport pretty close to the beach and when the Airbus 380 takes off from so close, it is surreal amalgamation of modern technology and nature!

After lunch in Nice and a beachside stroll, we went to Cannes and checked into our lavish Airbnb apartment (the best so far on this trip). Cannes had a nice holiday feel in the breeze and walking down the aisles of Cannes could not be more relaxing! We walked across the high street & the famed red carpet of the Cannes film festival and enjoyed a sumptuous meal in our apartment.

Day10

Journey: Cannes -> Grenoble

Stay: We stayed at an Airbnb in Grenoble

It was a day to enjoy Cannes to the fullest. We packed our bags, checked out and walked the red carpet again and then got a taste of some more streets of Cannes.

Found a public beach (most are private) and then went for a dip. Such a clean and clear with water at the right temperature was simply perfection.

We did not wish to cover long distance (approx. 800km) at the end of our holiday as we thought some fatigue would’ve made its way on this 3200km long journey and chose to split our distance and made the small town of Grenoble our pitstop for the night.

Day11

Journey: Grenoble-> Paris

Stay: We stayed at a friend’s place in Paris

It was time for my last “Shhhh… this is your captain from the flight deck’ joke on this trip as we reached Paris and gave back the car. The last night in Paris was all about staying at home and talking about the best of this trip and the ‘what could’ve been’ of this journey.

Day12

Journey: Paris-> Abu Dhabi -> New Delhi

And that was it! There’s so much more left to be soaked but the first Euro Road Trip could not have been better.