Sept in Austria, Czech Rep and Switzerland(or Italy)

[Ric]

Hi All,

Thinking of doing a trip to Austria, Czech Rep and Switzerland in mid to late Sept. Might substitute Switzerland for Italy depending on.....your suggestions!!

Not having been to those countries yet, I am looking to the experts here in AFF to give suggestions on must see/visit places, recommended restaurants, best mode of transport e.g. Eurorail 3 counties pass?, number of days to allocate to each place (total time allocated to this trip is 2 weeks), must do things, which 3 -4 stars hotels to stay (good convenient location) etc. Not looking for the most expensive but reasonable cost and value for money sort of things above. All suggestions greatly appreciated.

Will go from HKG and am thinking of AY via Helinski after hearing the good stuff about them and reasonable fares.

Thanks,

Ric

 

[Ric]

Aw shucks! Come on guys/gals,
90 views and not a single suggestion?
Am sure you all can give some tips/suggestions??

cheers,
Ric

 

[serfty]

I'll be in Prague this weekend - might get some tips.

Also, Lindsay Wilson has been awafting around the region; family in tow.

 

[Ric]

Serfty,
Many thanks! Prague is the main reason for Czech Rep though not the only one. Any tips in and round Prague will be greatly appreciated esp. quaint villages on the outskirts. Can tours be easily arranged there or arrange before hand?
Wait forward to your return!!
Cheers,
Ric

 

[albatross710]

When I'm travelling like that in Europe I prefer the train. Departures & Arrivals direct in the city centre. I research timetables on SBB: Home as I am usually travelling through CH at some time on my trips.

We visited Prague back in 1993 so my data is well out of date for that city ... but if I was going this year I'd be happy to catch a train in/out. I'd be checking a travel guide website like http:\\tripadvvisor.com [6] for the must see destinations.

In Switzerland I spent a day at the Swiss National Museum.

When I travel to Italy from Zurich I also take the train. 3-4 hour trip to Milan. Great scenery and foods.

If in Italy, Venice is a must see if you haven't been there.

Forgot to mention, that the discount airlines (easyjet etc) are low cost and can also greatly improve your ability to cover distances in a two week holiday.

Alby

 

[Ric]

Alby,
Many thanks. I was thinking the same thing....using rail. Places seems pretty near each other so rail is not much of a bother. The SBB site is great. I only have checked the Eurorail site.
Cheers,
Ric

 

[RB]

Ric I have just finished 17 nights in Czech Republic & am now in Italy (had a couple of days in Swiss). I am doing a trip report but will be a week or so until all the czech parts are online. I am not a city person so we spent 2 nights in Prague (had been there in 2000). Can give the Charles Bridge Apartments a big rap for Prague. We are normally train people but in Czech the bus worked better for us & they all left & arrived on time, were clean, cheap & safe. We travelled to Hrensko (1 night) Jicin (3 nights) Litomysl (1 night) Olomouc (3 nights) Mikulov (3 nights) Telc (2 nights)- I reckon we got the times pretty right & all the spots were certainly worth the effort.
Not sure if it is a priority but Czech is cheap as chips with good food & booze. Swiss still is an expensive holiday. I would take Italy over Swiss if given a choice- currently in Stresa & it is a great spot.
If you want a copy of our mud map of spots visited I can send a spreadsheet with names of apartments etc- will be leaving here on Fri morning & then be at home in Aust next Mon.-just pm me.
The cost of buses would mean they were cheaper than a train pass for what we did in Czech. I think you really need to do the full visit plan first to see if a train pass is viable.

 

[Ric]

Hi RB,
That sounds good like you are having a great time!! Can't wait for your TR! I will definitely PM next week for your "mud map"!! Thanks in advance!
Cheers,
Ric

 

[Timtammi]

Hi there Ric

We are doing a fairly quick trip in August/September covering Italy, Switzerland, Paris and then back home via LHR. All of this as we got a fantastic FASA deal for the return and I wanted to try out F for the first time (probably the last as well!).

Doing a JQ *class special up to BKK (more exxy now with their new fare structure ) and then AY BKK-HEL-FCO. In Italy we are doing FCO (been before and can give some advice if you want it) then train to Venice for a few days. Haven't been to Venice before so not much advice I can give now. From Venice we are going to train to Lugano via Milan to meet up with the bus that goes to Tirano to then take the Bernina Express train up to Chur and ultimately Zurich.

After a couple of days in Zurich we are going to Paris for a few days and then on to London where my Dad leaves for a couple of days before heading home.

All trains will be booked direct with either Trenitalia (Italian ones) or SBB for swiss ones. Eurostar for Paris - London. I did the maths and it worked out cheaper to just buy point to point for what we wanted to do.

If you want to to go Switzerland check out the Bernina and Glacier Express trains. Also use the seat61.com website for advice on booking trains. Switzerland is beautiful but very expensive. Don't expect to get a decent hotel under $300 AUD a night.

Any questions, let me know.

cheers

Timmi

 

[Ric]

Hi Timmi,
Great advice! Switzerland seems to be expensive....is it just hotels or food, drinks and other things too? Maybe I should do Italy instead of Switzerland eh?
Cheers,
Ric

 

[Keith009]

I find Switzerland rather bland, a bit like Singapore.

Food and drink are great in Austria... though I think people in Vienna are the rudest I've ever encountered. That said the cafes serve the most amazing coffee and cake, though the decor at most fine dining places is often excessively old school opulent. People in nearby Budapest are much more hospitable. You can still get Emperor Melange and equally awesome cake in Budapest!

Love, love, love Prague. Great shopping and partying!

My fave city in Italy is probably Milan... Via Montenapoleone and Via Della Spiga are my idea of heaven on earth. The city gets very dead at night on weekdays however, but the bar at the Bulgari hotel is very nice with lots of beautiful people. Love the fashion in Milan in general, very chic and cutting edge, makes for great people watching.

 

[Timtammi]

Interesting how everyone has different perspectives.. I suspect that QF009 and I have very different criteria for judging destinations !

Milan would be my LEAST favourite place in Italy. Love Florence and Rome and Amalfi coast and Italian Riviera.

If keeping costs down is your most important criteria Switzerland is probably not a good choice. I dont agree its bland but it is one of the more expensive places in Europe. Not to say you can't eat cheaply and the trains aren't expensive but generally hotels are and you will probably end up spending more on food there than say in Italy or Spain or even France.

Cheers

Timmi

 

[Timtammi]

Forgot to mention that I haven't been to Prague but its on my to do list for another trip!

 

[Keith009]

Also, unless traveling light (not a chance in hell if traveling with me ), I find the trains a bit of a hassle. Did the trains on a family trip per advice from Flyertalk, my ears are still burning since. One of us got stuck onboard the train as it made its merry way to the next station whilst trying to haul luggage off as quickly as possible! :/ There don't seem to be any porters even in the premium cabins. Gets rather stressful when you're lugging several suitcases full of clothes and shopping, especially at some stops where they don't give you much time to get off the train, or places where there aren't elevators. Flying is more expensive and time consuming, but I find it less stressful overall.

 

[Ric]

Thanks, as with QF009, it's shopping, shopping for SWMBO! Maybe you can give some tips on what and where to shop! Are there any of the US style types of factory outlets in Prague, Milan etc?

Scenery does look beautiful in Switzerland. Keeping costs down is a factor but not the most important factor. have got Spain and Portugal planned for next year!

cheers,

Ric

 

[Keith009]

Thanks, as with QF009, it's shopping, shopping for SWMBO! Maybe you can give some tips on what and where to shop! Are there any of the US style types of factory outlets in Prague, Milan etc?

I didn't bother with factory outlets in Milan as Milan is all about the totally ahh-mazing flagship stores on the 2 streets i mentioned! Try Fidenza Village about an hour away ... my best friend went and had a great time; he almost didn't make it back as he forgot he had a flight to catch in the midst of all the excitement!

SPACE in Montevarchi near Tuscany - awesome Prada outlet store. My heart still buzzes till this day thinking about it.

Florence is also a great place to go for factory outlets. Mum and I visited for this very reason and had a ball. The outlets themselves are actually an hour outside Florence... can't remember the name of the place but the locals know what we were referring to. I'll report back when I remember the name of the place.

Not sure about Prague sorry. I didn't have much time there only 2 nights, plus was too hungover (Prague is evil!), and spent it entirely in the city.

 

[Ric]

Florence is also a great place to go for factory outlets. Mum and I visited for this very reason and had a ball. The outlets themselves are actually an hour outside Florence... can't remember the name of the place but the locals know what we were referring to. I'll report back when I remember the name of the place.

Is this the place?: OUTLET FIRENZE, outlet florence, autonoleggio con autista, car rental with driver Florence

 

[Keith009]

Is this the place?: OUTLET FIRENZE, outlet florence, autonoleggio con autista, car rental with driver Florence

You got it!
There are actually quite a few scattered around but they're in the same general area.

 

[Jurahn]

We spent 4 weeks travelling around Switzerland and Australia (two weeks in each) in September/October 2009. First time ever for either of us to Europe (better late than never!) and had a great time, both countries beautiful but preferred Switzerland to Austria. Didn't find Switzerland expensive at all - if you want to stay in upmarket hotels, do fine dining, drink a lot, etcthen yes, it will cost you heaps. We found food prices in supermarkets etc were pretty much on par with Australia, could get good accommodation for around $200-$250 a night (including breakfast) in most places and were always able to find reasonably priced places to eat. In Switzerland both the Co-op or Migros self-service restaurants, which are usually beside or above the supermarkets of the same names, are great value.

Travelled by train - got a Swiss Saver Pass for Switzerland (available for 2-5 people travelling together). Excellent value - included not only almost all rail/bus/ferry trips around the country but also the public transport in around 35 Swiss cities and free entry into heaps of museums and attractions. Also got good discounts with the pass on the trip up to Jungfraujoch in the Swiss Alps. Swiss public transport is fabulous, and so easy to get around. Got a Eurail pass for Austria - turned out to be cheaper for us to buy the two separate passes than the combined Switzerland-Austria Eurail pass! Trains in Austria not quite as nice as Switzerland, still easy enough to get around but nowhere near as punctual. As QF009 said, there are no porters to help with your luggage, so you have to get it on and off the trains yourself. Most of the time the train is NOT level with the platform, you have to climb up into the carriages and hoist your cases up with you.

Stayed in: Switzerland - Bern, Montreux, Grindelwald , Lucerne, Zurich.
Austria - Innsbruck, Salzburg, Graz, Vienna.

Loved all the places we stayed except for Zurich (just another big, busy city, nothing special) and Salzburg (totally geared towards the tourist dollar, all the customer service staff seemed grumpy and unhappy, total contrast to everywhere else we visited).

Had brilliant weather in Switzerland, even got sunburnt at one point! Arrived in Austria early October and were running ahead of the cold weather, it seemed to close in just after we left each city, but caught up with us in Vienna and the last couple of days there were pretty chilly.

Our dollar worth 75 Swiss francs and around 64 Euro cents at that time, so you'd be getting better value for the Aussie dollar now.

 

[Ric]

Hi Jurahn,
Great tips and advice especially on the Swiss self service restaurants. So you didn't do Geneva and Basel? What's your impression of Vienna and Innsbruck?
Cheers,
Ric