Planning a Euro Trip ?

Acknowledgement:

One of my dear Consultant friends gave me this idea of jotting down everything that might be of help to all those planning a Euro Trip.

Few tips:

• Suitable time: September - November or March - May
  
• Suitable duration: 3 - 4 weeks
  
• Suitable landing and take-off destination: Paris (at night)

Starters:

The first and foremost thing is to book the flight tickets. Preferably Emirates. Dubai duty free shopping is something worth experiencing. So, ideal route would be Mum/Del/Kol/Chn -> Dubai -> Paris. Please make sure your flight reaches and leaves Paris at night.
Once this is done, you should book accomodation. For that, your itinerary should be fully planned and you should book youth hostels (google "Hostelling International" and do your bookings).

The most important task now is to get a Visa. Apply for Schengen Visa. Get in touch with the closest "Alliance Francaise" office, call there and get the details for applying for Visa. There are two types of Visa - short term (<=90 days) and long term (>90 days). For all tourism purposes, short term visa is issued. Apply for the same, fix an interview date with the "Alliance Francaise" office. Please keep in mind that there are specific photograph requirements for the Visa and that should be met otherwise Visa processing might take a longer time.

Europe cannot be enjoyed without the Eurail paas. Once Visa is stamped, apply for a suitable Eurail paas (chk out the options in the net). Train reservations are very expensive in Europe, so it is mandatory to have a Eurail paas.

Approximate budget for a month trip for one person would be 2-2.5 lakhs depending on your lifestyle and priorities. This includes the flight tickets and the Eurail paas expense. Keep some Euros in cash and some in the form of Travel Debit Cards, ICICI Card has good features.

Be physically fit and mentally ready to eat anything !!!!!

Main Menu:

The actual itinerary:
Well, it actually depends on how much time you have for the trip. I will assume a 2 month duration and proceed. You can prioritize based on your interests.
One tip: Take the local map and "Tourist attraction guides" from the hostels that you put up in.

• Paris - 2 days and 3 nights. Day: Notre Dame, Sacre Couer, Opera area, Saint Michelle, Louvre Museum, Jardin de Tuilleris. Night: Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, L'avenue de Champs Elisee.
• Belgium - 1 day in Bruxelles, 1 day in Brugge. Have HOT CHOCOLATE WAFFLES in Belgium.
• Amsterdam - 1 day and 1 night. Its a different city, enjoy !!!!
• Scandenavia - 10 days. Cover Kopenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo and Interiors of Norway and Finland. There is a cruise from Sweden to Finland over the icy cold sea. Dont miss that.
• Berlin - 2 days and 1 night. City of Modern history.
• Prague - 2 days and 1 night. Have an excellent old city look. Dont miss out on the Prague Castle, Tyn Cathedral, Charles Bridge and the astronomical clock.
• Austria - One week. One of the most beautiful countries. Cover Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck.
• Munich - Go if and only if October beer fest is taking place at that time.
  
• Switzerland - One week. Needless to say; awesome, awesome, awesome. Cover Interlaken - Jungfrau, take a PANORAMIC train from Interlaken to Lucerne. Spend 3 days atleast in Lucerne.
  
• Italy - One week. Venice and Rome are a must. You just cant miss out on Rome. You can cover Milano, Cenque Terra, Napoli, Mt Vesuvius if you have plenty of time and if Italy excites you.
• Greece - Acropolis makes a trip to Athens worth the time and money, but train and ship route takes a lot of time, if you can afford a flight to and fro Athens, its worth watching. There are other islands like Mikonos and Santorini which makes the Greek proud. But again, take flights if you do want to go to these places.
• South France - 2 days. Monaco, Cannes and Nice. Amazing beaches.
• Barcelona - 2 days.Amazing beaches with the hottest girls.
• Back to Paris

Please keep inquiring about the cruises and other Surface transport options as most of them are free in the Eurail paas that you have. Best thing is to enquire every city's nuances from the receptionist of the hostel that you stay in. Also, remember to take 2 days rest after every 10 days of trip. And yes, do experience a German train somewhere.
Very Important - Keep the number of the Indian Embassy in France with you and never lose your passport anywhere. Keep adequate photocopies of your passport.

Desserts:

Once your trip is done, you would like to shop and get loads and loads of stuff back home.
Do remember to see the Indian customs website so as to what all stuff is banned and what are the limitations on the purchase of alcohol, perfumes, etc. This is important as the Customs in India will check your bags and charge heavy duty if any such thing is found. Alcohol can be bought from the duty free shops in Paris/Dubai.
Also, keep a check on the weight of the stuff purchased, if ots more than the allowable limits of the airline, they charge a very heavy amount.

You can be rest assured that if planned meticulously, this will be the most enjoyable and memorable trip of your life.
Get in touch with me for more specific information.