Europe Essentials

By Akhil Shanbhag

March 2013

This guide has been developed based on first-hand experience of travelling across 24 European
countries. I have excluded some major countries (like France & Germany etc.) as their travel
itineraries are very much public & easy to plan. The information in this guide is totally based on my
personal views & experiences. I wish you a safe & memorable Euro Trip!!
Countries I visited
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vatican City

More Countries I would have liked to Visit on this trip given more time
Greece, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria, San Marino, Gibraltar

Experiences not to be missed in decreasing order of importance

1. Sky Diving (Munich, Prague, Sevilla or Italy), Bungee Jumping (Locarno), Scuba
Diving (Nice, France or Spain)
2. Norway Northern Lights, Tromso (Arctic Circle), Fjords Tour (Bergen)
3. Switzerland Jungfraujoch (Top of Europe), Mt. Titlis, Interlaken, Golden Pass
Panoramic Railway
4. Croatia Plitvice Lakes National Park, Bol beach (Brac Island)
5. Germany Oktoberfest (Munich), Berlin Walking Tour
6. Spain Barcelona (Football Match, Beach, City), Sevilla
7. Netherlands Amsterdam (You know what)
8. Portugal Lagos Beaches
9. Hungary Budapest Bath Spas
10. Czech Republic Prague Pub Crawl
11. Andorra Pyrenees Mountain Hitchhiking
12. Monaco Monte Carlo Casino
13. Austria Werfen Ice Caves, Salzburg, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Website to help you plan your travel

1. Bahn.com (Your one stop site for all train schedules)
2. Raildude.com (For train details)

Website to book hostels/accommodation

1. Booking.com
2. Hostelworld.com
3. Hostelbookers.com
4. Airbnb.com (For Flats/Group Acco.)
Eastern Europe
Trains: Mostly no reservations required on trains. Night trains need reservations but are very
cheap (3 Euros) compared to the rest of Europe. The trains are slow & journeys are long. The
countries have a lot of focus on Buses which ply regularly between most locations and can cost
anywhere from 10 to 25 Euros per journey.

Personal Safety: These countries are less developed compared to the rest of Europe & as with
other developing countries, safety is a concern. Travelling in groups would be the best way to
explore these countries. While travelling on trains, keep your luggage with you under your legs or
on the next seat (especially when you are travelling alone). If you are travelling in your groups, you
can think of tying your bags together when placed over head. There are thieves on these trains who
can flick your bags when you are deep asleep. Sometimes thieves are dressed as Police & ask for
your passports. They can deceive you with the slightest movement of their hands. Be very careful
when you are handing over your passport, wallet or any other belongings to strangers.

Food: Unlike western European countries, food is very different here & is very economical as well
(stomach full for 1.5 Euros). If you have lost 5 to 10 kgs on your other journeys, Eastern Europe is a
good way to make up for it.

Visa issues: Schengen Visa is valid in countries like Hungary, Slovakia. You get stamped on your
passport on entry to & exit from countries like Slovenia & Croatia. Your Schengen Visa is sufficient
for travel to countries like Romania & Bulgaria (valid for max. 5 days). There will be thorough
checking of passports on trains (during the night) especially if you are of Asian origin. Do check the
latest regulations for Visa on the web to avoid getting into any complications.

Currency: Most of these countries have their own currency & are not yet fully integrated with the
Euro. So carrying a Centrum card with sufficient balance is always a good idea. But many places
dont accept cards. So, if you are travelling in a group, you can probably withdraw sufficient cash
from any of the ATMs, use it & then get any leftover currency exchanged to Euro at any of the
railway stations when leaving the country.

When to visit: Weather is not as important here as it is for places like Swiss, Scandinavia etc. So
you can probably plan this as your last trip sometime towards the end of November.

Hostels: Accommodation is cheap is all these countries (max. 12 Euros/person). If you travel in
groups of 4 or 5, you can look for apartments (through booking.com) which might work out to be
much cheaper (5 to 6 Euros/person).
Croatia
Plitvice Lakes National park: Clearly one THE best places on Earth. It has been rated by Nat Geo &
other travel websites among the Top 10 places to see before you die list & also gets my vote for
being the best experience of Eastern Europe. Its a national park with waterfalls all around. The
water is crystal clear & scenic views everywhere. It is located about 4 hours away from Zagreb. On
a Sunday morning, we mistakenly got down at a train station called Plitivce Jazera (hoping for it to
be close to the park) and later found to our dismay that it was about 50 kms away from the park.
There was only one train which comes to this station (by which we came) & nobody understands
English. There werent any other modes of public transport. So, it was a situation where we didnt
have any way out of this place & were totally screwed. But our Jugaad way of working things out
helped us & we successfully hitchhiked our way out of this place (Croatians are awesome We
travelled 50kms for free, all the way to the park ). From being stuck in a random place without
any way out (at the start of the day) to successfully hitchhiking twice to one of the awesomest
places on Earth (at the end of the day) it was the most amazing experience Ever.

Brac Island, Bol beach: Brac Island can be reached by ferry from Split. It costs about 4 Euros by
ferry (pay local currency) which drops you off at the city of Supetar (on the island). It is a huge
island with many small towns. Bol is the most famous town with the hugely popular beach called -
Zlatni Rat beach (Golden Cape). From Supetar, it costs about 8 Euros for a 2-way ticket (by bus) to
reach this beach. You can also probably rent a bike or car if you reach the island in the morning &
drive through the curvy roads.

Zagreb: It is a beautiful city, but we didnt get to explore it much. We stayed in a hostel called
Palmers Lodge in the city centre (11 Euros per person), 300m away from the Railway Station.

Travel Strategy: We reached Split at 8am in the morning on our way from Bratislava. We took the
9am ferry & reached Brac Island by 10am. We roamed around a bit in Supetar & then took the bus
(45mins journey) to Bol (Zlatni Rat beach) around 12pm. We spent about 3 or 4 hours on the beach
& travelled back to Supetar in-time to board the 6.30pm ferry back to Split. We then took the
overnight train which goes from Split to Ljubljana & got down at Plitvice around 3am. We spent the
night in the Station Masters guest room & started hitchking at 8am in the morning. We were inside
the Plitvice Lakes National Park (entry fee 10 Euros) from 11am to 5pm & then back to Zagreb to
board our train to Ljubljana.
Hungary
Budapest: Also known as the City of Bath Spas. This is a beautiful & architectural city which has 2
parts Buda & Pest. You can visit the tourist information at the Budapest Keleti train station to plan
your day. Castle district, Budapest Parliament, St Stephen Basilica, Heroes' square, Matthias Church
& the City Park are some of the main attractions. There are also multiple hanging bridges across the
river Danube which is very picturesque.

The city is most famous for its Thermal Baths & is an experience you will remember for a long time.
There are many thermal baths in the city - Szchenyi thermal bath (oldest, most famous & has a lot
of crowd), Rudas Gygyfrd (Turkish bath; is smaller & has lesser crowd). Entry fee typically
ranges from 7 to 13 Euros & gives you access to thermal bath pools (many pools with temperatures
of 26 to 36 degrees), swimming pool & multi-fragrance Saunas (with temperatures of 42, 50, 55 &
72 degrees). There is a morning-discount especially if you reach the place before 12pm. Most of
these Spas have strict regulations on what you can wear. Dont be surprised if men have to
mandatorily undress completely (yes, totally nude) before you enter the facility. Believe me youll
get used to it once you spend a couple of minutes inside.

These Spas have varied schedule some Women only sessions, some mixed sessions etc. During the
mixed sessions, women wear Swim suits & men wear shorts. If you plan to go to the Rudas
Gygyfrd, there is a Friday night mixed-session from 10pm to 4am.

Slovakia
Bratislava: One of the cheapest places around for food, shopping etc. on your Euro trip. Eat all you
want & then take a stroll around the Old Town, the Main Square (Hlavne Namestie), Bratislava
Castle enjoying the views of the city & the Danube River. The hanging bridges here are very famous
and one of them has a UFO Observation deck on top. A cup of coffee here costs 20 cents while a
stomach full traditional Slovakian meal costs anywhere between 50 & 80 cents. A Subway meal
here is around 1 Euro, which costs about 3 Euros in Germany & about 10 Euros in Scandinavia.
Slovenia
Slovenia is one of the most beautiful countries in Eastern Europe apart from Croatia. You will be
greeted with some amazing natural beauty all around.

Lake Bled: One of the most beautiful lakes around with a castle at the centre of it. The walk around
the lake is about 6kms & you can have a very peaceful walk if you spend 3 or 4 hours. It is closest
(10-min walk) to reach the lake if you get down at a train station called Bled Jazeera on your way
from Ljubljana. Some misinformed people get down at a station called Lesce Bled, which is about 30
mins away from the lake by bus & costs 6 Euros. So dont be one of those.

Ljubljana: A beautiful town & the capital of Slovenia, looks amazing once the lights come on after
sunset. You can stroll around the Old Town, Preseren Square, Triple Bridge (most famous attraction
slightly overrated) and the Dragon Bridge (highly overrated) to spend an evening. A huge pizza
(the size of a trucks steering wheel) costs around 10 Euros.
Romania
Bucharest: Romania will be a different kind of experience when compared to the rest of Europe.
The buildings are huge, with high ceilings and the place looks like it has just lost a war. We couldnt
spend much time there due to the inconvenient train schedules. If you intend to go to Bucharest,
dont miss the magnificent Parliament Palace (the 2nd largest administrative building in the world
after the Pentagon) and a walk through the Old Town. There are overnight trains from Budapest (3
Euro reservation) which is a 15-hour journey. And there are similar trains back. But unless you
intend to continue on to Bulgaria & then to Greece, you can safely skip Romania for want of time.
Switzerland
1. Interlaken, Engelberg, Mt. Titlis, Jungfraujoch

a. Access
This is one of the most beautiful places on the planet & is the base point for many well-
known peaks in Switzerland. It is situated between 2 beautiful lakes & hence the name.
Places like Mt. Titlis & Engelberg are very close by & there are frequent trains (every
hour).

b. Places to check
Engelberg: is about 3 hours away from Interlaken & the base for Mt. Titlis. It is a very
beautiful town in itself & can be explored (cycling, stroll) if you have sufficient time.

Mt. Titlis: is one of the best value-for-money experiences in Europe. By paying an entry
fee of 55 Francs (43 for cable car + 12 for Ice Flyer), you get a complete Swiss package.
The cable car takes you to the peak (10000 ft) where you get some amazing views of the
Swiss Alps. The Ice Flyer is a small ride at the top of the mountain which allows you
access to Skiing & other snow sports. Do buy both for a wholesome experience. Ideal
time to spend at the top is about 4 hours. So plan your day accordingly. 11am to 2pm is
the best time to be on top depending on the weather forecast.

Jungfraujoch: Heaven on earth! It is the highest peak in Europe or so it is claimed. Open

only until around the end of October, it has one of the most beautiful train journeys in the
world. You need to buy a separate ticket for Jungfraujoch Bahn (only 25% discount with
Eurail). It is expensive and costs around 140 Euros (after discount). Is it worth paying so
much is debatable & you can skip it if you are on a really tight budget & have already
covered Mt. Titlis. The train journey to the top is unmatched & breath-taking with some
spectacular views. Having a good weather on this journey is very very important. At the
top, there is a plateau where you can spend time. The temperature is around -2 to -5
degree Celsius in October & the weather changes rapidly at the top (can go from sunny to
cloudy to snowing in a short span of 15 mins). There is an old saying - You can never
check Switzerland off your list unless you have conquered Jungfraujoch.

There are some very beautiful Swiss villages like Grindelwald, Wenger & Lauterbrunnen,
on this train journey (midway to the peak) where you can spend time (while returning
back from the top). Since Jungfraujoch Bahn is very frequent, you can choose to spend an
hour or two at these villages & take the next train back. Ideal time is to spend an entire
day (2 hours train journey one way). So plan your day accordingly. 11am to 2pm is the
best time to be on top depending on the weather forecast.

c. Hostel:
Accommodation facilities are only available in Interlaken and are expensive (min. 22
Euros per head). You could plan to stay in Zurich (2 hours away) or get in touch with
some of your old friends in Swiss & stay with them.
 Mt. Titlis & Interlaken

Jungfraujoch
2. Zurich, Lucerne

a. Places to check
Lucerne: A very beautiful town an hours ride away from Zurich.

Weggis: This is a small island village and rated one of the most beautiful villages on the
planet. You can reach it from Lucerne and is about 40 mins away by ferry ((Free with
Eurail)

Zurich: Zurich has many things to do to keep you occupied for a day. You can visit the
multiple clock towers, some of them the oldest in Europe. The chocolate factory, the free
boat ride on Lake Zurich, shopping on Bahnofstrasse etc.

3. Other free things to do

Free boat rides in Switzerland (free with Eurail): There are 3 free boat rides in
Switzerland - Lake Lucerne, Lake Zurich & Lake Thun.

Golden Pass Panoramic Railway (free with Eurail): This is one of the best ways to see
Switzerland. It is a train journey which takes you through the most scenic locations in
the North & West of Switzerland. Originating in Zurich & terminating in Montreaux
(near Geneva) it covers places like Lucerne, Meiringen, Spiez & passes through
multiple lakes. There are multiple trains (once every 2 hours) on this route & you can
choose to get down at one of the villages (we got down at Meiringen has the falls
where Sherlock Holmes fights Moriarty), spend a few hours & then continue on the next
train. Ideal time is to spend an entire day. Reach Montreaux/Lausanne in the evening
around 6pm, take a fast train (3 hours) back to Zurich.
Norway
1. Oslo

a. Access
Oslo is best accessed via Stockholm/Gothenberg by train. If you are based in one of the
southern European countries, it would be most economical & efficient if you travel by
flight - Ryanair or Easyjet. There are regular flights from Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt &
other capital cities. The flight charges one-way (booked well in advance) would be
around 15-20 euros. From the Ryanair airport, there are free shuttle services (twice an
hour) to the Oslo Airport train station. From there you can board the train (free on
Eurail) to reach Oslo S main station which has a lot of food & refreshment outlets.

b. Hostels/Apartments
Hostels are costly in this part of the world. Do your research.

c. Food
Nothing specific

d. Places to check
Oslo City tour: There is a tourist information counter outside Oslo S station where you
can get maps & know about things to do in Oslo. We travelled the city on foot but one
might have to walk a lot. You might want to buy a bus/tram pass.

Vegaland Erotic Park: This is a huge park & is full of erotic sculptures.

Nobel Peace museum: If you want to learn about Mahatma Gandhis works & life, you can
visit this museum. It has a 10-euro entry fee.
2. Bergen/Fjords Tour

a. Access
Bergen is a beautiful city in the western part of Norway. It can be reached by an 8-hour
train journey from Oslo. The Bergen-Oslo route is one of the most scenic train journeys in
the world, especially during winter. There are also overnight trains between these cities.
Even though Bergen is the 2nd largest city in Norway, it is not very well connected to
other parts of Norway. If you want to travel to the pulpit rock or northern part of
Norway, you most probably will have to go via Oslo.

Thousands of people visit Bergen because it is the starting point for the legendary
Norway-in-a-nutshell Fjords tour. This place is has reflection photography at its best. It is
the #1 thing to do in southern Norway. The different legs of the tour are (do on your
own, pay for each journey separately. DO NOT BUY PACKAGE TOUR; the train journeys
are free on Eurail): BergenVoss (Train, Free), Voss-Gudvangen (Bus, 69 NOK),
Gudvangen-Flam (Ferry, 138 NOK), Flam-Myrdal (Special Train, 180 NOK), Myrdal-
Bergen (Train, Free).
The tour starts at 08:40 from Bergen & you will be back to Bergen by 17:52 if you do not
miss any connections in between. The tour is well planned in the way that as soon as you
get down at Voss, a bus will be waiting for you to take you to Gudvangen etc. Tickets for
each journey can be bought on the bus/train/cruise & no prior bookings are required.

b. Places to check
Bergen City tour: Bergen is a very beautiful town & best covered on foot. There is a short
trek (1-hour) to the top of a hill from where you get a birds eye view of the city of
Bergen. There is a famous souvenir shop on top of this hill where you can buy gifts for
your loved ones.

Norway-in-a-nutshell Fjords Tour: Even though they try to sell it to you as a package, DO
NOT BUY THIS PACKAGE. The total cost quoted for this package includes the train
journeys which you dont have to unnecessarily pay for if you are carrying a Eurail pass.
So do each leg on your own. There are discounts for groups/students/groups. The price
quoted above is the one after discounts.
3. Tromso/Narvik

a. Access
Tromso is beyond the Arctic Circle. Period. It is the 3rd largest city in Norway & one of the
northern most cities in the world! Yes, the world. It is most famous for the heavenly
Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) which is visible here more often than anywhere else in
the world. Tromso is at the epicentre of the magnetic circle around the earth & so the NL
is visible here up in the sky rather than at the horizon. You might want to check the
weather & Aurora forecasts before you plan your trip.

By train, it is best reached from Stockholm (Sweden). There is a 19-hour train journey
from Stockholm to Narvik (Reservation 3). The train reaches Narvik around 2pm. From
Narvik, it is a 4-hour bus ride (37 one-way, after discount) to Tromso with buses
leaving at 6am, 10am, 3.30pm (check the schedule). It is the same schedule while
returning back from Tromso (leave Tromso by 10am bus which reaches Narvik at
2.10pm, take the 2.40pm train to Stockholm). All trains here need prior reservations.

You can also travel the Oslo-Trondheim-Bodo by train (free) & then Bodo-Tromso by bus
(25). Totally, it is a 31-hour journey on this route. You can also choose to fly from Bodo
or Oslo by Norwegian Airlines for 55 or 69 respectively.

b. Hostels/Apartments
At Tromso, you can stay at a camp site (http://www.tromsocamping.no/ book in
advance on the website, pay on arrival) called Tromso Camping. Most economical are the
4-person cabins here for 80. It is one of the most amazing places as you can the
Northern Lights very well at the camp site itself (from you room!)

c. Food
McD or Bruger King Meal here costs 12!

d. Places to check
Tromso City tour: Buy a 24-hour bus pass (90 NoK). Tromso is a big city & cant be
covered on foot. There is a tourist information counter at the city centre which closes at
4pm.

e. Northern Lights hunt

Northern Lights are the most amazing natural phenomena on this planet
(http://vimeo.com/21294655). If you plan to visit Norway, experiencing the Northern
Lights MUST be on your list-of-things-to-do. But it is very uncertain & highly highly
dependent on the weather (rain, snow, clouds, lack of magnetic activity). So, even the
best of your plans might fail. There is a Aurora Forecast app which you can install &
continuously monitor before you plan your Scandinavia trip. It will be visible in Northern
Norway during October-March with highest intensity during December & January. If you
are on a mission to see the Northern Lights, you can see it at 3 places (most common).
 i. Kiruna (Sweden) this is one of the intermediate stops on the Stockholm-Narvik train.
You can find 10-euro hostels in this town. It is very cold here as compared to Tromso.
Kiruna also has the Original Ice Palace (open during winter). Kiruna would be the
most economical option on the Northern Lights hunt. The NL is visible here on the
horizon, not as majestic as in Tromso.

ii. Narvik (Norway) is on the Sweden-Norway border and is the northernmost point of
train connectivity in Norway. You can find 10-euro hostels in this town. This is also a
very economical option on the Northern Lights hunt. There are large open spaces
here for viewing the Northern Lights, but they are not as majestic as in Tromso.

iii. Tromso (Norway) is the best place to experience the Northern Lights as it is seen up
in the sky rather than on the horizon. But everything here is very expensive from
food (min. 12) to accommodation (min. 20 per night). The bus journey from
Narvik costs 37 one-way. So, just going to Tromso, staying for a night & coming back
the next day will burn a 125 hole in your pocket. And you are not even certain of
experiencing the northern lights due to weather uncertainty. In Tromso, you can see
the Northern Lights from the end of the city (up on the hill) or from your camping site
itself as described above.
Sweden
1. Stockholm

a. Access
Stockholm can be reached via Copenhagen/Malmo. It is known as the capital of
Scandinavia. It is a beautiful city with lots of historical museums & works of art. You can
cover the city in a day. Stockholm is a very well connected by train. If you are based in a
southern European country, you can also fly to Stockholm by Ryanair or Easyjet for as
low as 15 to 20. Stockholm is also the starting point for many Baltic Cruises to
Helsinki (Finland) or Tallinn (Estonia) or Riga (Latvia).

b. Places to check
Stockholm City tour: You can buy a 8-journey pass for 12 and cover the city well. It is a
huge city with many things to see Change of guard, Small island of Gamla Stan, Viking
Ship Museum etc. Check with the tourist information for more info.

Cruise to Finland: Viking Line (http://www.sales.vikingline.com) offers economical

overnight cruises to Finland. If booked well in advance, you can book a to-and-fro cruise
(2 nights) for 50 Euros (4 people). Yes, thats 12.5 per person! It leaves Stockholm at
5pm on Day1, reaches Helsinki at 10am on Day2. You have until 4pm to look around
Helsinki. The cruise leaves Helsinki at 4.30pm on Day2 & reaches back to Stockholm at
9am on Day3. If you plan to book single journeys, it is very expensive.

Another strategy is to take a cruise to Helsinki (Finland), spend a day there, then a cruise
from there to St. Petersburg (Russia), from there to Tallinn (Estonia), spend some time
there, then by road to Riga (Latvia), then through Lithuania, Poland and towards
mainland Europe. You can cover 4 more countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and
Russia) this way. But check Visa requirements before travel. Mostly Russia doesnt need
Visa if you travel by boat to St. Petersburg. Please check before travel, otherwise you
might never get out of KGB custody
Andorra
a. Access
Andorra is a small country on the French-Spanish border. It can be reached
via the French border town of LHospitalet. There are two main towns in the
hilly Andorran territory Pas de la Casa & Andorra la Vella.

Pas de la Casa is a small town at the top of the hill (amidst the famous
Pyrenees mountain range.) and has ONLY duty free shops. It is a paradise for
shopping enthusiasts. French & Spanish people travel to Pas de la Casa for
their shopping needs mainly gasoline. Chocolates, Alcohol, Cigarettes are
available duty free & the prices are around 20% cheaper than other duty free
facilities across Europe.

There are frequent trains from Toulouse to LHospitalet. But from there, the
connectivity to Andorra is very bad. There is only one bus (at 9am) which
takes you to Pas de la Casa & onwards to Andorra la Vella (for 6 Euros). There
is only one bus for return from Andorra back to LHospitalet (at 1pm). There
might be taxis available (25 Euros), but dont count on it. We tried
hitchhiking unsuccessfully for 3 hours (around 350 cars) & then one old lady
offered to give us a ride to Pas de la Casa.

b. Hostels/Apartments
None

c. Food
None

d. Places to check
- Shopping street at Pas de la Casa

- Small town of Andorra la Vella

Austria
1. Salzburg/Werfen Ice Caves

a. Access
Salzburg is just 2 hours away from Munich. It is one of the most beautiful cities in
Europe. You can do the Sound of Music tour (overhyped) or just enjoy the walk along the
streets, riverside in this beautiful city. You can also buy cheap winter wear if you have
not carried them from India.

Werfen Ice Caves (Closes by End of September)

The worlds largest Ice cave at Werfen is about 40 mins away (by train) from the Salzburg
and receives darshan from all IIM students when on exchange. While travelling from
Salzburg, get off at a train station called Werfen. From there you need to take the 15-min
bus ride (6.1 Euros, every hour) to the bottom of the caves. From the bottom of the caves
you take a cable car (5.5 Euros one way, 4.5 Euros with ISIC Card) to the top of the caves.
Once you get off the cable car, you have to walk for 20 mins to reach the Cave entrance.
The temperature inside the cave is sub-zero. So carry adequate winter wear. There is a
free guided tour inside for about 45 mins. While returning back you can either choose to
take the cable car down (5.5 Euros) or trek down (2 hours, level: difficult) to the bottom
of the hill.

b. Hostels/Apartments
Hostel prices range from 15 to 20 Euros per person. Not aware of any apartments on
rent.

c. Food
Nothing specific

d. Places to check
Salzburg tourist spots (check with tourist info), Werfen Ice caves
2. Vienna

a. Access
Vienna is in the western part of Austria & is also famous for its music. It is also one of the
costliest cities in Europe.

b. Hostels/Apartments
Hostel prices range from 15 to 20 Euros per person. Not aware of any apartments on
rent.

c. Food
Nothing specific

d. Places to check
Vienna City tour (check with tourist info)

Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra It is one of the most famous orchestra performances in

the world & is a must do for anyone even remotely interested in music. They play notes
of Beethoven, Mozart & other famous musicians. The performances are conducted at the
Wiener Musikverein. A standing seat (last row of the hall) costs 5 Euros. You can buy
your tickets in advance on their website (www.musikverein.at). Book at least 4 or 5 days
in advance to get a 5 Euro ticket.

Vienna Opera This is also among the best experiences one can have in Vienna. The
performances are held the Vienna Opera House.
Travel Plan University of Cologne

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun No. of Days Dates Places to Travel
Sep-01 2 2 Sep 1,2 Rosrath, Cologne
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 2 Sep 8,9 Berlin
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 3 Sep 14,15,16 Amsterdam (Fri night, Sat), Munich (Sun - Skydiving)
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 4 Sep 21-24 Oktober fest, Austria (Werfen Ice caves, Salzburg)
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 4 Sep 28-1 Oct Switzerland
Oct-01 2 3 4 5 6 7 4 Oct 6-8 Denmark, Luxembourg
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 10 Oct 11-22 Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland)
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 5 Oct 25 - Oct 28, Oct 29 Italy, Belgium
29 30 31 Nov-01 2 3 4 11 Nov 01 - Nov 12 Spain, Portugal, Andorra, France (Paris)
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Eastern Europe - Croatia, Czech, Slovakia,
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 12 Nov 15 - 26 Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Austria (Vienna)
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 15 Nov 30 - Dec 6 South France, Paris, Amsterdam
26 27 28 29 30 Dec-01 2 2 Dec 7 - Dec 9 Cologne
3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Travel
Attend Class/ Sleep at home

Italy

Dates Time Mode of travel Place/Train Reservations

08:53 - 13:37 Train Koln (7) - Basel SBB (6) [EC 7]
14:31 - 16:40 Train Basel SBB (11) - Brig (6) [IC 1077]
16:44 - 17:12 Train Brig (4) - Domodossola [IR 2831]
17:47 - 19:41 Train Domodossola - Novara [R 10387]
20:03 - 20:45 Train Novara - Milano Centrale [R 2025]
25-Oct Thursday 23:20 - 07:20 Train Milan - Rome [Need to Reserve - InterCityNight ICN 1911 - 3E]
Rome
26-Oct Friday 22:35 - 05:26 Train Rome to Venice
12:32 - 14:40 Train Venice to Florence [Reservation - FAZ - 10E]
15:00 - 15:49 Train Florence to Pisa
18:00 - 19:00 Train Pisa to Florence
27-Oct Saturday 21:35 - 06:15 Train Florence to Munchen [Reservation - CNL - 9E]
28-Oct Sunday 07:00 - 11:15 Train Munchen to Cologne
Switzerland

Dates Time Mode of travel Place Details

27-Sep Thursday 23:46 - 08:00 Train Cologne to Zurich Overnight journey

09:04 - 09:49 Train Zurich to Lucern

10:06 - 10:53 Train Lucerne to Engelberg Engelberg is the base of Mt. Titlis. Pay CHF 55 (43 for Cable car to the top, 12 for Ice Flyer) to get to
15:00 - 15:54 Train Engelberg to Lucerne the top of Mt. Titlis. Don't miss the Ice Flyer ride as it takes you to the part of the Mountain where
18:05 - 19:00 Boat Lucerne to Weggis you have some sport activities. Back to Lucerne for the Lake ride & Weggis Village & Back to
28-Sep Friday 20:35 - 21:25 Train Lucern to Zurich Lucerne by 19:00 to get back to Zurich for Overnight stay

09:04 - 09:49 Train Golden Panoramic Raliway Journey Get down at Meiringen to spend 2 hours around the village. Take the next Golden Pass Train &
18:19 - 18:40 Train Montreaux to Lausanne continue the journey till Montreaux. Get to Lausanne & spend about 30 mins there. Take the
29-Sep Saturday 19:20 - 21:28 Train Lausanne to Zurich Geneva to Zurich ICE to get back to Zrich for Overnight Stay

08:32 - 10:23 Train Zurich to Interlaken West Get to Interlaken West to book tickets to Jungfraujoch. After Eurail Discount it costs 142 Francs.
11:05 - Train Interlaken West to Lauterbrunnen Spend the Entire Day at Jungfrau & other points on the Hill. Spend time at Kliene Schedigg &
30-Sep Sunday Reach Zurich by 10pm Train Interlaken Ost to Zurich Grindelwald for some nice scenery.

08:07 - 09:46 Train Zurich to Schaan Eurail is valid on all buses in Leichtenstein. Get down at Vaduz Post & reach the Information
10:03 - 10:17 Bus Schaan to Vaduz Centre. They'll will guide you around the places to see in Leichtenstein. Spend around 3 hours
13:50 - 15:20 Train Schaan to Zurich there, you'll finish everything there is. Get back to Zurich in the evening so as to roam around in
01-Oct Monday 21:00 - 05:43 Train Zurich to Cologne the City.

Spain, Portugal

Dates Time Mode of travel Place/Train Reservations

14:18 - 17:44 Train Koln to Luxembourg

02-Nov Friday 18:46 - 09:14 Train Luxembourg to Port Bou

03-Nov Saturday 10:33 - 13:09 Train Port Bou - Barcelona Sants [Same Train as Abhijith]

04-Nov Sunday

05-Nov Monday 22:20 - 07:21 Train Barcelona Sants to Madrid Chamartin [Nachtzug - Reservation - 6.5E]

06-Nov Tuesday 21:50 - 07:20 Train Madrid-Chamartin to Lisboa Oriente [Need Reservation - HOT 332 - 7E]

07-Nov Wednesday

08-Nov Thursday 16:38 - 10:53 Train Lisboa Oriente - San Sebastian

Train San Sebastian - Hendaye
16:59 - 21:28 Train Hendaye - Toulouse-Matabiau
09-Nov Friday 22:34 - 06:52 Train Toulouse-Matabiau - Paris Austerlitz [Need Reservation - NZ 3752 - 7E]
Scandinavia Trip

Dates Time Mode of travelPlace Activities Details

08:45 - 10:40 Flight Brussels to Oslo Cover local Oslo; Flights booked
11-Oct Thursday 23:11 - 06:56 Overnight Oslo to Bergen Overnight train to Bergen (need reservation) Train Reserved
08:40 - 09:55 Train Bergen to Voss Train - No reservations
10:00 - 11:00 Bus Voss to Gudvagen Bus - Book on the spot
11:30 - 13:40 Cruise Gudvangen to Flam Ferry - Need to book
14:50 - 15:40 Train Flam to Myrdal Train - Buy tickets on train Overnight stay at Bergen
12-Oct Friday 15:56 - 17:52 Train Myrdal to Bergen Train - Buy tickets on train Accommodation Confirmed

Local Bergen & other places Overnight stay at Bergen

13-Oct Saturday around Accommodation Confirmed

22:58 - 06:26 Train Bergen to Oslo Overnight Train

14-Oct Sunday 07:25 - 13:20 Bus/Train Oslo to Stockholm
Local Stockholm;
15-Oct Monday 16:30 - 10:10 Cruise Stockholm - Helsinki Stockholm to Helsinki Overnight Cruise Booked
Local Helsinki in the morning;
16-Oct Tuesday 17:30 - 10:00 Cruise Helsinki - Stockholm Helsinki to Stockholm back in the evening Overnight Cruise Booked

Little bit of Stockholm;

Overnight 19 hour journey to Narvik
17-Oct Wednesday 17:50 - 13:43 Train Stockholm to Narvik Train Resveration (3 Euros pax) Train Reserved

Camping night stay in Tromso for Northern Lights. Its closer to the New One way bus journey costs approx. 50 Euros
moon day so highest chance of seeing the Lights if there are no clouds. (Need to ask for 50% student discount)
18-Oct Thursday 15:30 - 19:45 Bus Narvik to Tromso (Need acco for overnight stay) Acco at Tromso Booked

Camping night stay in Tromso for Northern Lights. Its closer to the New
moon day so highest chance of seeing the Lights if there are no clouds.
19-Oct Friday Bus Tromso/Hammerfest (Need acco for overnight stay) Acco at Tromso Booked

06:15 - 10:15 Bus Tromso to Narvik Overnight 21 hour journey to Stockholm

20-Oct Saturday 14:40 - 12:20 Train Narvik to Stockholm Train Resveration (3 Euros pax) Train Reserved
Rest at Ishan's Place. Very close to central station in Stockholm. Take
bath if you have not taken bath for 5 days.
21-Oct Sunday 22:23 - 06:17 Train Stockhom to Copenhagen Overnight Train Journey to Copenhagen Train Reserved

Local Copenhagen Sandeman's New Europe Free walking tour in Copenhagen. Starts at
Copenhagen Radhaus (townhall) at 11am & 1pm.

17:45 - 22:16 Train Copenhagen to Hamburg Overnight train journey back to Cologne. Rest at the waiting room in
22-Oct Monday 22:46 - 03:09 Train Hamburg to Cologne cologne until the first Bus in the morning