Europe 2025

21 Apr 2025 – 10 Jun 2025 · by ke214

Destinations

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Stay around Museum Quarter Anne Franks house - book 6 weeks in advance Van Gogh museum Canal Keukenhof& Zaanse Schans: Tulips - But tickets in October 2024 Day.2: Kasteel de Haar& Paleis Het Loo Leiden: small streets and canals and windmills. National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) and Japanmuseum SieboldHuis Delft& Kinderdijk windmills: I enjoyed the previous tour so much that I booked again with Dutch Tours. 9 streets Jordaan district Corrie Ten Boom’s house Haarlemt Prinsengraht hotel From seat61.com (https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/amsterdam-to-bruges-by-train.htm) Option 5, the way I recommend, but not directly shown: Take a high-speed Eurostar (formerly Thalys) from Amsterdam to Antwerp, have a coffee & look round one of Europe's most beautiful stations, then take the hourly direct IC train from Antwerp to Bruges instead of taking the earlier hourly change-at-Ghent departure. 3h20 with only 1 change. You buy a ticket for option 1, but make use of the flexibility in the Antwerp-Bruges part of the fare to take the later hourly direct Antwerp-Bruges train instead of the earlier hourly departure with a change in Ghent. Not rocket science! Some of my notes from my last trip. Foodhallen Food Hall. Albert Cuyp Market Manneken pis for the best French fries Van Stapele Koekmakerij for the best chocolate cookie de Silveren Spiegel for an elegant dinner De Witte Zwaan resturant . Popperjys. This is a Dutch pancake google a location West park cool area lots of cafes. Frens Haringhanfel. This is a food stand by the flower market has really good fried fish. 3 day in Amsterdam example: Dam square Royal palace of Amsterdam Walk to begijnhof oldest house at number 34 Bloemenmart - floating flower market Can wonderen stroopwaffles - near bloemenmart Damrak canal houses - photos and top photography place Evening - canal cruise choose one with cheese and wine package Red lights district de wallen Day 2: art and culture Rijksmuseum Van Gogh museum - check 2 weeks before Vondelpark Anne Frank house Amsterdam cheese museum Evening Jordaan and 9streets Le petit deli Foodhallen (20 min walk from jordaan) - de ballen bard Day 3: Hoftuin park Breakfast dignita hoftuin Amsterdam museum or h’art museum Hortus botanicus Amsterdam Rembrandt house museum Albert cuyp market 9-5 De pijp neighbourhood These are the things we have seen and done… Anne Frank Museum Van Gogh Museum Keukenhof Meerzicht Farm Bloesempark and the Cherry Blossom Canal Royal FloraHolland Visitors Center Vondelpark Strand Noordwijk Foodhallen Ten Kate Markt Westerkerk Westerstraat Markt De 9 Straatjes Begijnhof Waterlooplein Markt Albert Cup Red Light Rudi’s Stroopwafels Moeders Nieuwe Spiegelstraat Royal Palace Van Stapele Koekmakerij Beurspassage Noordermarkt Wochenmarkt And various other shops and restaurants Bus tour that takes you to zaanshe scans, market, volendam, and Edam cafe or coffee houses. (Not coffee shops with green leaves )
Bruges, Belgium

Bike tour https://www.quasimundo.com/en/faq/73 Good blog to read for 2 day itenerary https://www.traverse-blog.com/two-day-itinerary-bruges/
Würzburg, Germany

Rest and travel day
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany
Vienna, Austria

Overnight train to rome Hundevisser house Day trip to Bratislava https://www.wien.info/en/travel-info/arrival-departure/twin-city-liner-362142
Salzburg, Austria

+ day trip to Hallstatt Liechtenstein Gorge in Salzburg, Austria Salzburg international Christian church 11.00 service
Munich, Germany
Füssen, Germany
Florence, Italy

Day trip to Pisa ans Lucca Day trip Siena Stay Lungarno
Rome, Italy

Stay in piazza navona or centro storico area
Lisbon, Portugal
Madrid, Spain
Barcelona, Spain

Buy sageada familia tickets 4 weeks in advance Gothic quarter Casa Batilo Park Guell Palau de la Musica Catalana The Born Picasso Museum La Pedrera Mediterranean sea Park Guell 10:00 26 May. Locator number 700157731978 Transport buy T-usually ticket for 30 days
Lyon, France

Transport to Chamonix Train to Geneva then bus to Chamonix https://swisstours.transport-ticket.com/?marketingCarrierCode=STOR&retailerPartnerNumber=130331
Annecy, France

Take the flux bus to chamonix
Chamonix, France

of 21 · From Chamonix take the train to Martigny. This involves one change at Vallorcine. It is an extremely scenic train ride. Then Martigny to Visp and Visp to zermatt. This is the simplest and most direct connection AND if you have a Swiss Travel Pass is covered 100% by the pass. Get times on http://www.sbb.ch/en and be sure to enter "VIA Martigny". Vert Lodge
Zermatt, Switzerland

Bernina Express Glacier express Golden pass line Gorgengrat Milly Cullum Arrived on the train in the morning. Had a fondue lunch. After lunch we took the Gornergrat Cogwheel - unfortunately the day we went was not a good view of Matterhorn but the 2nd day was supposed to be worse. I had hoped to go see the black nosed sheep! Day 2 Woke up before sunrise to see the sun lighting up the tip of the Matterhorn! From Zermatt, we took the Sunnega-Blauherd-Rothorn funnicular and cable cars up to Rothorn (weather was clear and beautiful!) for views of the Matterhorn. We then took a hike down the “Five Lakes” trail from Blauherd station down to the Sunnega funicular station, and stopped for a late lunch at Ze Seewjinu Mountain Lodge. Total hike time, including lunch was about 4 hours! We also got to see the shepherds bring the goats back down from the mountain at the end of day. They walk down the main road every afternoon. If you want to maximise your time on pure travel then Zurich-Lucern then the Brunig line to Interlaken where you can pick up the Golden Pass route to Montreux. From there to Brig then take the Glacier Express route to Chur. From Chur to St Moritz via the Albula line then the Bernina line to Tirano. Every mile is pure scenery. Many, many attractive mountain railways. I've just done, in reverse order, Interlaken-Luzern, Montreux-Interlaken and Locarno-Domodossola (included in a Swiss Interrail card, surprisingly, as is Domodossola-Brig). All with spectacular scenery and comfortable trains You can also travel the "old" main lines on the Gotthard route (Zurich/Luzern-Lugano/Locarno) and Loetschberg (Bern/Interlaken-Brig), both pretty spectacular. Zermatt on a budget Food: petit royal Supermarket Day hike - ahv-weg (free) Golden pass panoramic express from Montreux Travelling Swiss top 10 - gorgengrat - riffelsee lake - rotenboden stop (Sunrise hike available on Sundays) - 5 lakes hike 2.5-3 hours (take sunnegga furnicular from Zermatt, then gondola to blauherd) then start the hike from the best lake the Stellisee. Mountain goat, black sheep - track using the website meet the sheep) then head down to more lakes like the Grunsee then the Leisee. - chez vrony restaurant - Matterhorn glacier paradise - glacier palace - Gorner gorge canyon 1 hour (after Matterhorn glacier paradise day - sunrise and sunset - sunset spot kirchbrucke or walk to goirmebweg - explore Zermatt village - walk along gorner river. Matterhorn museum. (Afternoon or a whole day) Day 1 Gorgengrat (sit on the right side) on the way up stop at rotenboden (20 min hike) to riffelsee. Continue to gorgengrat afternoon go down to Zermatt and stop at intermediary station for more adventure. meet the sheep website. Stop at riferalp for the five lakes trail. Then ride the train back to Zermatt. Sunset kirchbrucke or walk to goirmebweg (champagne bar) Day 2 Matterhorn glacier paradise. Ice palace. Scharzsee for lunch for spectacular view. Then hike down to Zermatt. Afterwards walk to gorner gorge 1 hour. Day 3 5 lakes hike. 5 lakes hike ticket. 5 lakes Hike. Begins at blauherd station and ends at sunnegga. Instead of all of the five lakes, hike gorgengrat to riffelberg
Grindelwald, Switzerland

Paragliding interlaken Steam boat cruise Swiss fondue (ask for half and half) Chocolate club (interlaken) Gimmelwald - self service fridges Air time paragliding in murren ~300 aud murren down to lauterbrunnen Please be aware that you can easily do Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, Murren, Wengen, Kleine Scheidegg and Grindelwald easily in a day. The entire train loop takes no more than 3 hours and would be covered by a day ticket. You can hop on and off the trains for as long as you like. We recently returned from Switzerland, Grindelwald region was our fave. We found “Top of Europe” pricing just insane, so here is a little tip for those who think the same. Although remember, you might find the Jungfraujoch cost acceptable which is totally fine, our priorities lay elsewhere, purely personal choice. As an alternative we took the mountain railway from Grindelwald (our accommodation base) to Kleine Scheidegg for a squiz, up to Eigergletscher, back to Kleine S to change trains then on to Wengen for lunch. Continue on the train to Lauterbrunnen and back to Grindelwald. We did all this on the Hiking & Sledging Pass for 𝗖𝗛𝗙𝟭𝟴𝟮 for a family of 4, as opposed to 𝗖𝗛𝗙𝟰𝟰𝟮 for the Top of Europe pass. The only difference is that we couldn’t go from Eigergletscher to Jungfraujoch, all other trains and gondolas are included (including Eiger Express if you prefer). As you can see from our videos… UNBELIEVABLE. Bucket List ✅ If your priorities are the spectacular scenery as opposed to getting to the very very top, then this may be better suited to you. PS: we had a hire car so had no use for a Swiss Travel Pass. If you have a pass then this may not suit you - schynige platte railway - brienz rothorn Lauterbrunnen to wengen to Kleine scheidegg to Grindelwald Grindelwald first Grindelwald first cliffwalk Travelling Swiss recommendation. Day 1 Grindelwald - village walk to Grindelwald first - ride the gondola and head right to the top - experience the cliffwalk in the morning - hike to the bachalpsee hike (1 hr in each direction) - take the zip line down to the intermediary station. But if there is a long line go down the gondola and take the flyer where you can go up and down the same line. - after the first gondola, take the pfingstegg gondola (mountain coasters) also fly line zip line - evening can go to Grindelwald canyon (fridays) - fondue @belvedere hotel Day 2 - head to interlaken ost take the 11:07 boat. Continue by boat to brienz. (There are a couple of stops along the way if you want to but not necessary) - Lake brienz - walk along the lake and walk the brunngasse st Afternoon 2 options - brienzer rothorn cob wheel train (steam engine train) - 1 hour reserve seats in advance day before. At the top you can see lake lucerne. -option 2. Take the 1.51 buds to ballenberg. Swiss open air museum. Created a mini Switzerland. - take train back to interlaken Evening - go to harder kulm and interlaken for dinner. With the funicular. Day 3: Lauterbrunnen valley - Take the gondola from Grindelwald to the mannlischen. - take the royal walk (20 min walk) - head back to the gondola and down to wengen - wengen you can walk the village there is a view from the village - then take the train back to Lauterbrunnen. (Check app as it only runs twice an hour) - walk around Lauterbrunnen village - then walk to trummelbaschfalls go inside the mountain ain via a funicular - continue by foot to stechelbern gondola station - take the gondola up to murren but stop at gimmelwald (self serviced fridges) - hike up or take the gondola up to murren - you can go up from murren to wchilthorn (007) but this will be a packed day. - if not take the gondola station to Lauterbrunnen.
Lucerne, Switzerland

Rheinefalls and pilatus Not titilus Toboggan in pilatus Paragliding pilatus Pilatus I'd consider the round trip. Lake boat and funicular one way and cable car and trolleybus the other. Much more interesting. Leave the car at your accommodation.
Zürich, Switzerland

Lindt chocolate factory