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1 Touring Europe by Rail
Rich, ancient, and incredibly diverse, the nations of Europe offer a vast array of sights, climates, cultures, and cuisines. The ten trips outlined below show the full reach of the European rail system; feel free to mix and match parts of them to create your ideal vacation. Where possible, we’ve used overnight trains on these trips, as they save you the cost of a hotel night, maximize your sightseeing time, and are a rail experi- ence in and of themselves. Remember that overnight trains, as well as the Eurostar Chunnel train, French TGV trains, and most high-speed trains, require extra reservation fees over the price of your railpass. (See p. 35 for more on overnight trains.) We’ve recommended railpasses for those itineraries below that would make good use of them; where point-to-point tickets are cheaper, we’ve noted that as well. (For an overview of when to buy a pass and when to go point-to-point, see p. 42.) Exact train times and prices are subject to change—the details in these pages were accurate as of December 2003, but you should double-check all train schedules when plotting out your journey. For more on navigating rail sched- ules, see p. 30.
1 1-Week Itineraries The average North American vacation is a mere 7 days long (we know, too short!). To help you make the best of your time in Europe, we’ve put together five 1-week rail itineraries that will give you a taste of some of the best Europe has to offer. Whether you’re a royalty fanatic who can’t get enough of the continent’s magnificent palaces or a nature buff who’d rather tackle the magnificent scenery of Scandinavia, you’ll find an itinerary below that will suit your needs. And if you happen to have more than a week to spend (lucky you!), you can mix and match these itineraries or check out the 2-week itineraries we offer in the next section.
ITINERARY 1 EUROPE’S BEST CASTLES & PALACES
Duration: 8 days, 7 nights Best time of year: Spring or fall Recommended passes: Second-class Eurostar ticket, plus 3-country 6-day Eurail Selectpass Arrive in: London Depart from: Munich Europe is practically overflowing with medieval castles and ornate palaces. And many of these world-famous residences (and former residences) are open to exploration by those of us whose blood isn’t Royal Blue. Touring all these bas- tions of nobility could take years, but we’ve put together an itinerary that will 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 2
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introduce you to a few of the most noteworthy castles and palaces on the Con- tinent and in London.
Day 1 Tours, in the Loire valley. Check into Arrive in London. After checking into your hotel (see “Tours” in chapter 8 for your hotel, take a tour of Buckingham accommodations options) and rest up. Palace in the morning, if it’s open Day 4 (only in summer); otherwise, take in the adjacent Royal Mews and the If ever there were a spot for castle magnificent Queen’s Gallery, both of lovers, it’s the Loire valley. Unfortu- which are open year-round and feature nately, it’s not the most train-friendly lots of fabulous royal treasures. Spend spot in France, so the best way to see the afternoon exploring the Tower of the region’s famous castles is to get up London, an imposing castle complex early and take a full-day bus tour of built by William the Conqueror and the Loire chateaux. Tours leave at home to Britain’s fabulous crown jew- 9 am daily from the city’s tourist office els. If you have time, indulge in a tradi- and, alas, Tours tours aren’t covered by tional afternoon tea, or try a night out railpasses. Should you wish to explore at the theater. See “London” in chap- on your own, a few chateaux are ter 10 for more sightseeing options in reachable from Tours by rail. Try the this historic city. Gothic and Renaissance Château of Amboise or the historic Château de Day 2 Blois. Stay in Tours a second night. Fortify yourself with a good English See “Tours” in chapter 8 for more breakfast before taking the Eurostar chateaux excursions out of Tours. 1 train on a 2 ⁄2-hour jaunt to Paris, a Day 5 journey that’s discounted with your Eurail Selectpass. If you’ve got time More chateaux! Take a 25-minute train once you’ve settled into your hotel, ride to Chenonceaux (p. 285), noted visit the Louvre, which would be the for its startling river-spanning castle. largest palace in the world, if it were Return to Tours for a final dinner, then still a palace and not one of the world’s take the 7:34pm TGV back to Gare greatest art museums. Pay homage to Montparnasse in Paris, arriving at the Mona Lisa, the Venus De Milo, and 8:45pm, to connect to the 10:58pm 300,000 or so of their fellow artworks. overnight train from Paris Est station It’s a royal treat, palace or not. See to Munich, which arrives at 8:54am. “Paris” in chapter 8 for other things to (Note: You’ll have to get from Mont- do in the city. parnasse to Paris Est station by Metro or taxi, but you’ve got plenty of time to Day 3 make the connection.) Get an early morning start and take Day 6 the RER C-line commuter train (the train is covered by your railpass) out to From the Munich Hauptbahnhof, Versailles (p. 272) and spend a half take the first available train to Füssen; day touring Louis XIV’s masterpiece, a you should arrive there around structure so magnificent, that building lunchtime. Take one of the hourly it practically bankrupted the state buses to Hohenschwangau (p. 377) treasury. Return to Paris in the after- and tour that castle (the line there noon for a stroll or some other sight- should eat up most of your afternoon) seeing before taking an evening TGV and then return to Füssen for the high-speed train for the 1-hour ride to evening. See chapter 9 for more on Munich and the Romantic Road. 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 3
ITINERARY 2: SMALL CITIES OF THE BENELUX 3 Itinerary 1: Europe’s Best Castles & Palaces
NETH. 0 100 mi Amsterdam N 0 100 km U. K.
London GERMANY BELGIUM Rhine Bonn el Brussels nn ha Frankfurt English C LUX.
Seine Stuttgart Paris Strasbourg Seine Danube
e n i h Loire R MMunichunich Füssen Tours Zurich AAUSTRIAUSTRIA FRANCE Innsbruck Chenonceaux Bern LOIRE VALLEY SWITZERLAND Geneva S P L Clermont- Lyon A Ferrand Mont Blanc Po ITALY
Bordeaux A G P P E a Rhone N ro N n I ne N E S
Day 7 the downtown Residenz Palace after In the morning, take a bus to checking into your hotel. Neuschwanstein (p. 377), Mad King Day 8 Ludwig’s fairy-tale folly. (This was the model for Walt Disney’s Cinderella If you have an afternoon flight, you Castle and the real thing is a heck of a might be able to get to Schloss lot better!). After lunch, take the bus Nymphenburg (p. 349), on the edge back to Füssen for the 2-hour train of Munich, in the morning. Other- ride to Munich, where you can tour wise your castle hopping will come to an end as you fly home from Munich.
ITINERARY 2 SMALL CITIES OF THE BENELUX
Duration: 8 days, 7 nights Best time of year: Summer Ideal passes: Point-to-point tickets Arrive in: Amsterdam Schiphol Depart from: See below
Relaxing, romantic small cities can be an antidote to the typical European big- city bustle. Tack part of this itinerary onto a Paris or Amsterdam trip for a 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 4
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change of pace, or do the whole thing for a truly intimate week. All the Dutch and Belgian destinations in this itinerary are within a few hours of Amsterdam or Brussels, and you won’t have to worry about catching a train at a specific time within Holland or Belgium because all trains run on at least an hourly basis.
Day 1 Day 4 Arrive at Amsterdam Schiphol airport, It’s time to leave The Hague behind. and take a train from the station Take a morning train to Antwerp’s beneath the airport terminal directly Centraal Station, store your luggage to The Hague, just 50 minutes away. there, and then lose yourself on the Check into your hotel for a 3-night streets of Antwerp, a hidden gem stay. Once you’re settled in, head for that’s the capital of Europe’s diamond Madurodam, a fascinating scale- trade. Don’t miss the largest church in model replica of dozens of Dutch the Benelux, the Cathedral of Our landmarks and attractions. After Lady, situated right off the city’s you’ve had your fill of miniatures, and medieval and picturesque Grote if you still have time, take Tram 1 all Markt. For a touch of culture, visit the way up to the beach resort of the impressive Rubens House, where Scheveningen to see how the Dutch artist Peter Paul Rubens once lived spend sunny days. See “The Hague” and worked. For more on Antwerp, in chapter 15 for more information. see “An Excursion to Antwerp” in chapter 4. In the evening, head back Day 2 to the rail station and catch a 2-hour Take Local Tram 1—not the train— train to the city of Liège in the heart of from The Hague to Delft and spend Belgium’s Wallonia province. Check the day in that charming city, strolling into your hotel and give yourself a its atmospheric canals, touring its two well-earned rest. churches, and visiting its renowned Prinsenhof Museum (p. 660). Head Day 5 back in the evening to The Hague and Spend you day exploring the “Passion- relax. ate City” of Liège. Don’t miss this the Museum of Walloon Life (p. 148), Day 3 especially its fabulous puppet collec- In the morning, grab a train to Haar- tion. The Romanesque Church of St. lem, a compact town, just 35 minutes Bartholomew has a 12th-century bap- away, that’s ideal for strolling. Start tismal font that’s regarded as one of the first at its impressive Grote Markt greatest treasures in Belgium. For more (market square) and catch a recital on options, see “Liège” in chapter 4. the 98-foot-tall organ inside the Church of St. Bavo. Finally, take in Day 6 the city’s finest attraction, the Frans Eat an early breakfast before catching a Hals Museum, which sports both train to your final base in the Benelux— great art and a charming 17th-century the World Heritage city of Bruges. The setting. For more information, see “An trip will take about 2 hours and 10 min- Excursion to Haarlem” in chapter 15. utes. Once you’ve settled into your In the afternoon, head back to The hotel, wind your way through the Hague and tour the Mauritshuis, medieval streets of Bruges, making sure whose must-see art collection includes to visit the city’s famous Belfry and the quintessential Benelux city land- Market Halls, the Begijnhof, and the scape—Vermeer’s View of Delft. Church of Our Lady with its sculpture by Michelangelo. See “Bruges” in chap- ter 4 for more on the city. 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 5
ITINERARY 3: RIDING THE SCENIC ROUTE 5 Itinerary 2: Small Cities of the Benelux
0 50 mi Groningen N 0 50 km Leeuwarden
North Sea Meppel
Haarlem AAmsterdammsterdam Zwolle U. K. NETHERLANDS TThehe HHagueague Arnhem DDelftelft Nijmegen Münster RotterdamRotterdam Maas GERMANY Vlissingen Eindhoven Düsseldorf Oostende Antwerp Venlo DDoverover Ghent Dunkerque Brugges Köln Brussels MMaastrichtaastricht Rhine Calais Kourtijk Aachen BELGIUM Liège Huy Bonn Boulogne Lille Namur Charleroi Spa e Meuse br Sa m Dinant Abbeville BBastogneastogne FRANCE
Libramont LUXEM- Amiens BOURG LLuxembourguxembourg Compiègne
Day 7 city’s medieval atmosphere. For more If you can draw yourself away from on Ghent, see “An Excursion to Bruges for the day, get on a train for Ghent” in chapter 4. the 20-minute ride to Ghent, another Day 8 breathtaking medieval city. Make sure Bruges is close to several international to see its Cathedral, the Belfry and 1 the grim Castle of the Counts, and airports: Brussels is about 1 ⁄2 hours then stroll along Graslei. Return to away, Amsterdam Schiphol is a little over 3 hours, and Charles de Gaulle in Bruges before dinner and spend the 3 rest of the evening soaking up the Paris is only 2 ⁄4 hours. Fly home from whichever airport works best for you.
ITINERARY 3 RIDING THE SCENIC ROUTE
Duration: 8 days, 7 nights Best time of year: Spring Ideal passes: Second-class point-to-point tickets (cheapest) or First-class 5-day Switzerland ’n Austria Pass, plus a ticket from Milan to Swiss border of Chiasso Arrive in: Milan Depart from: Vienna 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 6
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There’s some intense rail riding on this weeklong trip, but you’ll be rewarded with a number of the world’s most thrilling and dramatic rail journeys as you travel across the Alps. Two noteworthy trains you’ll be riding are the magnifi- cent Centovalli Railway traversing Italy and Switzerland, and the only railway deemed worthy of UNESCO’s World Heritage Site designation, the Semmering Pass Railway in Austria.
Before leaving home: Call to make reserva- Brig and change there to the 3:22pm tions to see Leonardo’s Last Supper in Milan. to Bern, where you’ll arrive just after 5pm and can check into your hotel for Day 1 a well-earned rest. Arrive in Milan in the morning. After This all sounds very complicated, checking into your hotel, see the but the views offered by the Centovalli Duomo, and then head for the Last trains are exceptional, and these are Supper if you nabbed a reservation. common and frequent connections. Spend the afternoon in the Brera Pic- The conductors on any of the trains ture Gallery and checking out the we mention above will tell you where shops and antiques stores on the side to go if you ask. And if you miss a streets off of Via Brera, which are train, there will usually be another one open until 7:30pm on most evenings. along in an hour or so. See “Milan” in chapter 14 for more information on the city. Day 3 Bern is lovely, but the best railway Day 2 scenery is in nearby Interlaken. In the Today you head off on one of the best morning, make the 1-hour journey to railroad journeys in Europe: a ride on the Interlaken Ost train station and the Centovalli Railway. Grab the you’ll get a view of the mountains in 9:25am InterCity train to Bellinzona, the distance, the 13,000-foot peaks of arriving at 11:23am. Connect there to the Jungfrau (p. 861). An intricate a 12:07pm train to Locarno, arriving network of railways climbs these at 12:30pm, and then get on the Cen- mountains, and you can ride one or tovalli Railway to Domodossola, one two of them today out of the Inter- of the lesser-known scenic treasures of laken station; a Eurailpass doesn’t the Alps. The hourly frequency of the cover these trains, but passholders do Centovalli line means you can get off get a 25% discount. Rail Europe also at any of the charming villages it sells Jungfrau tickets. Once you’ve had serves (we recommend Verdasio or your fill of the magnificent scenery, Intragna for their cable cars) and get head back to Bern and have dinner back on again. There are local and in one of the city’s wine taverns. express Centovalli trains, so take a See “Bern” in chapter 20 for more local (leaving at 1:09pm) if you want nightlife options. to stop and an express (leaving at 12:55pm) if you want to shoot Day 4 straight through. If you take the local, Say goodbye to Bern, grab your lug- make sure to get back on the train to gage and head back to Interlaken arrive in Domodossola no later than Ost. The famous Golden Pass Line 7pm, so you can catch the 7:25pm (p. 859) heads through the mountains Cisalpino to Brig, and from there, outside of Interlaken along an incred- connect to Bern. If you take the ibly scenic route to Luzern (Lucerne). express train straight through, you’ll Take the 10:30am Golden Pass arrive in Domodossola at 2:40pm; Panoramic train from Interlaken Ost from there, hop the 2:52pm train to 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 7
ITINERARY 3: RIDING THE SCENIC ROUTE 7 Itinerary 3: Riding the Scenic Route
0 100 mi Dresden POLAND N 0 100 km GERMANY Frankfurt Prague
Plzen CZECH REPUBLIC Nurnberg
Stuttgart e Strasbourg nub Da FRANCE e n B i h R Munich Salzburg Vienna
Zurich AUSTRIA LLeobeneoben SSWITZERLANDWITZERLAND Innsbruck LucerneLucerne Graz Bern R h IInterlakennterlaken o n e BBrigrig Ljubljana P S LLocarnoocarno L DDomodossolaomodossola Zagreb A SLOVENIA MMontont BBlanclanc Verona Rijeka CROATIA Po Milan Venice Turin BOSNIA Bologna Adriatic Sea HERCE- Genova ITALY GOVINA A P P E N MONACO N I Ligurian N Florence E Sea S
to Luzern (you’ll arrive at 12:24pm), Alpine scenery. Take some time to connecting there to Zurich. stroll through this picturesque city Five trains a day from Zurich and check out the Residenz State 3 depart for the 3 ⁄4-hour trip to Inns- Rooms, where Mozart once played for bruck, Austria, and you could get into royal guests. See “Innsbruck” and Innsbruck as early as 5:18pm. Check “Salzburg” in chapter 3 for more on into your hotel and eat dinner. If these Austrian cities. you have some energy left, take a tram Day 6 to the Hungerburg cable railway (p. 112), which takes you up a moun- Take the 11:18am train from Salzburg tain overlooking the city and offers to Leoben. Arriving at 2:32pm, you’ll especially beautiful nighttime views of make a quick connection to the Innsbruck. 2:48pm train to Vienna aboard the 150-year-old Semmering Pass Rail- Day 5 way—the only rail line on UNESCO’s Spend the morning strolling the beau- list of World Heritage sites. Arrive in tifully preserved Altstadt (Old Town) Vienna at 5:02pm, check into your in Innsbruck. After an early lunch, hotel and have dinner. Have a piece of catch the 1:30pm train to Salzburg, the city’s famous dessert, the Sacher- a 2-hour ride through spectacular torte—you’ve earned it. 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 8
8 CHAPTER 1 . TOURING EUR0PE BY RAIL Day 7 Dynasty. Have dinner in a Viennese Start your day off at St. Stephen’s wine tavern and, if you can, attend a Cathedral in the heart of Vienna. concert or theater performance. If Climb its south tower for a panoramic you’re an opera fan, the Vienna State view of the city, and then stroll down Opera is one of the best in the world. Kärntnerstrasse, the main shopping Day 8 street. Stop off at one of the city’s grand cafes at 11am for coffee. In If there’s time in the morning, try and the afternoon, visit the Schönbrunn cram in a visit to the city’s Hofburg Palace, summer seat of the Hapsburg Palace Complex before flying home out of Vienna.
ITINERARY 4 EASTERN EUROPE
Duration: 8 days, 7 nights Best time of year: Summer Ideal passes: Point-to-point tickets are cheapest, but First-class European East Pass is only $70 more and offers a lot more flexibility and convenience Arrive in: Prague Depart from: Budapest
Liberated and bustling, but also ancient, eastern Europe is blooming as a rail destination. And, compared to western Europe, it’s cheap, too. This weeklong jaunt takes you to three very different capitals on both sides of the former Iron Curtain: hip Prague, historic Budapest, and cultured Vienna.
Day 1 stomach it, there’s a 7:17am from Arrive in Prague in the morning. Prague, which will get you into After checking into your hotel, walk Krumlov around 11:30am; otherwise, the city’s famous Royal Route, touring take the 9:17am and get in around Prague Castle before walking across 1:20pm. Spend the day exploring this the Charles Bridge into Old Town. World Heritage Site (be sure to see the From there, head for Wenceslas city’s famous castle) and stay over- Square, site of the demonstrations night. For more information, see that led to the Velvet Revolution in “Cesk; Krumlov” in chapter 5. 1989. See “Prague” chapter 5 for more Day 4 on the city. Get up early this morning because Day 2 you’ll need to hop an 8:19am train from Prague’s greatest strengths are its archi- Krumlov back to Ceské Budêjovice. 1 tecture and atmosphere; both are best You’ll have about 2 ⁄2 hours to explore experienced by strolling and wander- this former fortress town and original ing the city’s streets. So spend your home of Budweiser beer. See “Ceské day exploring Prague’s Old Town and Budêjovice,” in chapter 5 for sightsee- Jewish Quarter in more depth. In the ing options in the town. Make sure Jewish Quarter (Josefov), be sure to you’re back in the station in time to visit the Old Jewish Cemetery. catch the 11:54am train to Linz. You’ll connect there to a train to Vienna and Day 3 should arrive in the Austrian capital at Take a morning train to beautiful, about 4:30pm. Check into your hotel, medieval Cesk; Krumlov, changing have dinner (don’t skip dessert in this trains in Ceské Budêjovice. If you can city renowned for its pastries!), and 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 9
ITINERARY 4: EASTERN EUROPE 9 Itinerary 4: Eastern Europe
0 100 mi N Elbe BOHEMIA 0 100 km Prague POLAND Krakow Plzen Ostrava CZECH V REPUBLIC l ta v a Brno S GERMANY IAN ††eskéeské BBud#joviceud#jovice TH PA R A C Cesk*Cesk* E SLOVAKIA IT KrumlovKrumlov H Munich W Vienna Bratislava Danube AUSTRIA Gyor Budapest Innsbruck Graz
HUNGARY
ITALY Ljubljana Pecs SLOVENIA Zagreb
CROATIA Rijeka Novi Sad Venice
Adriatic Banja Luka BOSNIA Bologna Sea HERCEGOVINA
perhaps take in a concert. For more State Opera. See “Budapest” in chap- on Vienna, check out “Vienna” in ter 12 for more information on the city. chapter 3. Day 7 Day 5 Today, focus on Budapest’s Castle Dis- See Day 7 of the “Riding the Scenic trict. Be sure to see the 13th- Route” itinerary on p. 8. century Matthias Church and the Budapest History Museum. On your Day 6 way back into Pest, stop for coffee and Take the 8:45am train out of Vienna to a slice of dobos torta (layer cake) at Budapest. After arriving at 11:43am, Gerbeaud’s, one of the city’s classic check into your hotel and eat lunch. coffeehouses. Then drop in at St. Spend your afternoon exploring the Stephen’s Church, the country’s Inner City and Central Pest. Walk largest before heading over to the strik- down Vaci útca, the city’s trendiest ing Moorish and Byzantine Dohány shopping street. Then stroll along the Synagogue, the largest in Europe. Danube to the neo-Gothic Parliament After dinner, take in one the city’s building. Have a hearty Hungarian many musical concerts. dinner and, if you’re an opera fan, join the rest of Budapest at the Hungarian Day 8 Fly home from Budapest. 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 10
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EXPLORING THE SCANDINAVIAN ITINERARY 5 TRIANGLE
Duration: 8 days, 7 nights Best time of year: Summer Ideal passes: Point-to-point tickets (cheapest) or Scanrail Pass Arrive in: Copenhagen Depart from: Stockholm
Summer in Scandinavia brings days that stretch forever. Take advantage of all those sunny hours to explore three of the region’s key cities: Copenhagen, Stock- holm, and Oslo.
Day 1 the Bygdøy peninsula for the city’s Arrive in Copenhagen in the morning renowned ship museums. In the and check into your hotel. Take a cou- afternoon, if you have time, take in ple of hours to stroll the old city’s cob- the Edvard Munch Museum or head blestone streets and its many canals. to the Tryvannstårnet tower for a Spend the late afternoon at Christians- panoramic view of Oslo. See “Oslo” in borg Palace. Early in the evening, sam- chapter 16 for more information. ple the rides and entertainment at the Day 5 city’s famous Tivoli. See “Copenhagen” in chapter 6 for more sightseeing Get up early and pay quick respects to options. the world-famous Munch painting, The Scream, at the Nasjonalgalleriet. Day 2 Then hop the 11:27am X2000 train In the morning, visit Amalienborg to Stockholm, which will put you in Palace, see the changing of the guard the Swedish capital at 4:15pm. After there, and then walk to the statue of checking into your hotel, take a walk the Little Mermaid. In the afternoon, around Stockholm’s Gamla Stan (Old see the art treasures of the Ny Carls- Town) and have dinner at one of its berg Glyptotek, and in the evening, restaurants. See “Stockholm” in chap- drop in on one of the city’s many jazz ter 19 for information on the city. clubs. Day 6 Day 3 Get an early start and take a ferry to Spend your morning perusing works Djurgården to visit the Vasa ship by the Old Masters at The Royal museum and the Skansen folk Museum of Fine Arts, then have an museum. In the afternoon, head to the early lunch and leave Copenhagen on Royal Palace & Museums and check the 1:36pm X2000 express train to out the Swedish crown jewels, among Gothenburg, and switch there to the other royal treasures. Have dinner in 5:35pm train to Oslo. Eat dinner on Old Town and, if you can, take in a the train because you won’t arrive in performance in the exceptional Drott- Oslo until 9:45pm. Check into your ningholm Court Theater. hotel and get some rest. Day 7 Day 4 Take a morning train to Uppsala— After breakfast, stroll past Akershus trains leave every half hour and take Castle before catching the bus to 40 minutes—and spend some of the 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 11
2-WEEK ITINERARIES 11 Itinerary 5: Exploring the Scandinavian Triangle
0 100 mi N Sundsvall 0 100 km
Galdhøpiggen Søderham Voss Hamar Bergen Gävle
NORWAY Oslo Uppsala SWEDEN
Stavanger SStockholmtockholm Norrköping
Kristiansand Trollhattan GOTLAND Skagerrak Göteborg
Kattegat
ÖLAND DENMARK North Helsingborg Sea Baltic Malmö Sea CCopenhagenopenhagen Ystad
Bornholm
morning walking around the univer- For dinner, try the smorgasbord-style sity and visiting its famous Gothic buffet at the Grand Veranda. cathedral. After lunch, take the local Day 8 bus to historic Gamla Uppsala and explore the archaeological remains If you’re flight doesn’t leave until the there. For more sightseeing options, afternoon, spend the morning in the see “Uppsala” in chapter 19. Return to National Museum of Art. Catch the Stockholm by train before dinnertime. 20-minute Arlanda Express train to the airport and fly home.
2 2-Week Itineraries Though you can do a 1-week rail vacation in Europe if you limit your travels to a small region, if you want to cut a wider swath, you’ll need at least 2 weeks to see things without feeling rushed. In this section we offer a couple of specialized itineraries for architecture buffs and food-lovers, as well as a few “grand tour” suggestions for travelers who want to sample Europe’s various regions and cities at a reasonable pace. 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 12
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ITINERARY 6 EUROPE’S BEST ART & ARCHITECTURE
Duration: 15 days, 14 nights Best time of year: Spring Ideal passes: First-class 6-day 4-country Eurail Selectpass, plus ticket from Brussels to Bruges Arrive in: Brussels Depart from: Venice
This trip lets you bury yourself among the masterpieces of European art—it’s a museum buff’s dream. You’ll hit four of the world’s greatest museums—the Louvre, the Prado, the Vatican and the Uffizi—as well as three open-air muse- ums filled with great architecture in Bruges, Barcelona, and Venice.
Day 1 Centre Pompidou will yank you into Arrive at Brussels National Airport, the 20th Century. then take the train into Brussels Nord Day 4 station and immediately connect to a train to Bruges; the entire train trip So many riches: The Musée National 1 Auguste Rodin? The Musée Picasso? should take about 1 ⁄2 hours. In Bruges, tour the medieval streets and How about the Musée d’Orsay? enjoy the city’s unique architecture. Choose two, and enjoy one in the See “Bruges” in chapter 4 for more on morning and one in the afternoon. the city. After an early dinner, head to Paris’ Austerlitz station for the 7:43pm Day 2 overnight train to Madrid, arriving at There is one direct morning train 8:58am. This train, the Francisco de from Bruges to Paris, but it departs at Goya, is one of Spain’s Elipsos train 6:36am, so unless you’re a really chip- hotels and one of Europe’s most luxu- per morning person, forget it and take rious rides (p. 38). one of the hourly trains that leave Day 5 Bruges for Brussels, and then catch a Thalys trains to Paris. If you time it Check into your hotel, then start your right, the entire trip shouldn’t take day in Madrid at the Royal Palace more than 3 hours. Once you’re set- and work your way east to the Monas- tled in Paris, start off at the Arc de terio de las Descalzas Reales. Spend Triomphe, then stroll down the the night as locals do by Tasca hop- Champs-Elysees to the Egyptian ping. See “Madrid” in chapter 18 for obelisk at the Place de la Concorde. more on information. Next up is the Eiffel Tower. Around Day 6 sunset, head for Notre Dame Cathe- How does the Prado compare to the dral to top off your Paris monuments Louvre? Today’s your day to find out. If tour. See “Paris” in chapter 8 for more there’s time, head over to the Museo on the City of Light. Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Day 3 home of Picasso’s famous Guernica. If If you’re a fan of great art, then we you aren’t too exhausted, take in a Fla- don’t have to tell you that the Louvre menco show after dinner. warrants an entire day. But if you need Day 7 a change of pace in the afternoon, the Take the 9am Talgo high-speed train from Chamartin station to Barcelona, 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 13
ITINERARY 6: EUROPE’S BEST ART & ARCHITECTURE 13 Itinerary 6: Europe’s Best Art & Architecture
London 0 100 mi U.K. Bruges Rhine N BBrusselsrussels 0 100 km
BBELGIUMELGIUM Bonn n n e l E h a GERMANY n g l i s h C LUX.
Seine Stuttgart Strasbourg Paris Seine e Danube n i Munich h Loire R
Nantes Tours IInnsbrucknnsbruck FRANCE Zurich AAUSTRIAUSTRIA LOIRE VALLEY Bern SSWITZERLANDW I T Z E R L A N D S Poiters Geneva P L Lyon A MMontont BBlanclanc Milan CChambéryhambéry VVeniceenice Bordeaux y G TTorinoorino A P ITALY a P E ro Rhone N n N n I e N E Florence Toulouse S Bayonne
P Y R E N Marseille E E S
Burgos ANDORRA Corsica (FRANCE) SPAIN Rome Rio Douro Barcelona
Mediterranean Sea Madrid Sardinia (ITALY) r
arriving at 4:03pm. Spend the after- Day 9 noon and evening strolling the Barri Check into your hotel in Rome and Gòtic, the city’s Gothic quarter, or the spend the afternoon and evening tour- famous promenade of La Rambla. ing the ruins of Ancient Rome, start- For more sightseeing options, see ing at the Capitoline Hill and “Barcelona” in chapter 18. walking along the Via dei Fori Impe- riali to the ruins of the Colosseum. Day 8 See “Rome” in chapter 14 for more Start your morning with a tour of La sightseeing options in the city. Sagrada Família; then head either to Parc Güell for more Modernist Day 10 masterpieces, or take in the Fundació Spend the entire day perusing the con- Joan Miró or Museu Picasso muse- tents of the Vatican Museums. Seeing ums. (This is a good time to take a the Sistine Chapel is a given, but don’t break from museums, and lounge on a miss the Pinacoteca (picture gallery), bench in Parc Güell staring at the sky.) which is loaded with masterpieces. Take the 8:38pm Talgo night train Day 11 to Milan, where you’ll transfer to the 10am Eurostar Italia train bound for Say goodbye to Rome and take a Rome, arriving at 2:30pm on Day 9. morning train—trains run twice an hour—for the 95-minute journey to 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 14
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Florence. Florence is fortunately com- Day 13 pact, so once you’ve checked into your Venice is art. Explore the Piazza San hotel, you can spend your day Marco in the morning—be sure to strolling the axis from the Basilica di stop in at the Ducale Palace & Bridge Santa Maria Novella to Il Duomo, of Sighs and St. Mark’s Basilica—and the Palazzo Vecchio, and Giotto’s then wander the city’s many canals and Bell Tower. See “Florence” in chapter bridges in the afternoon. 14 for further details on the city. Day 14 Day 12 Museum buffs should hit the Acad- Check out of your hotel early, stash emy Gallery for older art, the Peggy your bags at the train station and Guggenheim Collection for newer spend your entire day, if possible, sub- works, and Ca’ d’Oro, where a multi- merged in the art of the Galleria degli tude of masterpieces are hung in a Uffizi. Tear yourself away from the grand setting in a former palace. If you museum’s masterpieces in order to prefer architecture to museums, take a grab your bags and board the 6:30pm vaporetto ride along the Grand Canal train to Venice, arriving at 9:27pm. and visit several of Venice’s beautiful (Have dinner in the Eurostar Italia churches and guild houses. train’s dining car.) See “Venice” chap- Day 15 ter 14 for more details. Bid farewell to Europe and fly home out of Venice.
ITINERARY 7 EUROPE FOR FOOD LOVERS
Duration: 15 days, 14 nights Best time of year: Spring or Fall Ideal passes: First-class 3-country Eurail Selectpass (5, 6, or 8 days depending on the side trips you take), plus Eurostar ticket Arrive in: London Depart from: Barcelona
This 2-week trip features a walk through some of the best and most recognized regional cuisine and dining experiences in Europe. We start you off in London, where you can take afternoon tea or dine on classic pub grub, then head off to indulge in the renowned food mecca of Paris plus the celebrated cuisines of Tus- cany and Spain with a side trip to Provence as a bonus. Loosen your belt as you eat your way through Europe.
Before you leave: If you don’t want to be chips (though you should have those left out in the cold, it is crucial to make din- too!). Spend the day visiting the sites ner reservations by phone in advance before of Westminster: Westminster Abbey, you leave home. 10 Downing Street, Big Ben, and the Day 1 Houses of Parliament. For dinner, Arrive in the morning in London. sample the cuisine of one of Britain’s The city is actually a center of global best chefs, Marco Pierre White, at cuisine where you can eat a different Mirabelle. Top off the evening with a country’s food every day for weeks— pint at a pub near your hotel. See it’s an often-underrated foodie capital “London” chapter 10 for more on din- that’s about a lot more than fish and ing and sightseeing in the city. 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 15
ITINERARY 7: EUROPE FOR FOOD LOVERS 15 Itinerary 7: Europe for Food Lovers
London 0 100 mi U.K. Bruges Rhine N Brussels 0 100 km
BBELGIUMELGIUM Bonn n n e l E h a GERMANY n g l i s h C LUX.
Seine Paris Stuttgart Strasbourg Seine e Danube n i Munich h R
Loire Nantes Tours Dijon IInnsbrucknnsbruck Zurich AAUSTRIAUSTRIA LOIRE VALLEY Bern SSWITZERLANDW I T Z E R L A N D S Poiters Geneva P L Lyon Bay FRANCE A MMontont BBlanclanc Milan Venice of CChambéryhambéry ITALY BBordeauxordeaux Biscay G TTorinoorino Bologna ar Parma on ne Rhone Toulouse Avignon Florence Bayonne Pisa P Y R E N E Marseille E S
Burgos ANDORRA Girona Corsica (FRANCE) SPAIN Rome Rio Douro Barcelona
Mediterranean Sea Madrid Sardinia (ITALY) r
Day 2 Day 4 Today’s a royal day in London. Spend After a good English breakfast, take a 1 a long morning at the Tower of Lon- morning Eurostar train for the 2 ⁄2- don, have lunch, and then head off to hour ride to Paris. Your Eurail Select- Kensington Palace. Grab a pre-the- pass gives you a discount on this ater dinner at Michelin-starred chef speedy train. (See p. 386 for more on Nico Ladenis’s Incognico, then head Eurostar.) Spend the afternoon at the off to the West End and see a show. Louvre and have dinner in a tradi- tional French brasserie. See “Paris” in Day 3 chapter 8 for dining options in the city. In the morning, visit the British Museum. Shop a bit in Covent Gar- Day 5 den and stop in at one of Soho’s many Get acquainted with monumental patisseries for a traditional afternoon Paris. Begin at the Arc de Triomphe tea. Then, head off to South Kensing- and stroll down the Champs-Elysees ton for a stroll and perhaps pop in at to the Egyptian obelisk; then either the Victoria & Albert Museum. For stand in line for the Eiffel Tower or your final night in London, dine at explore the Ile St-Louis and the the ultra-British but thoroughly mod- Quartier Latin. Take a break at a Left ern cuisine at Rules Restaurant. Bank cafe for coffee and pastries, and around sunset, head for Notre-Dame 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 16
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Cathedral to top off your Paris monu- Paoli. See “Florence” in chapter 14 for ments tour. Have dinner in a Left more on dining in the city. Bank bistro. Day 10 Day 6 It’s excursion time: Catch the 9:25am Explore a Parisian food market this train to the Tuscan city of Pisa. You’ll morning to see where chefs get their arrive at 10:27am and should immedi- inspiration. Then visit Fauchon, the ately set out for the famous Leaning ultimate gourmet food store, for the Tower. For lunch, sample excellent ingredients of a picnic lunch. Spend Pisan cuisine at Antica Trattoria Da the rest of the day exploring the sights Bruno, near the tower. Then tour the of the Ile de la Cité and Le Marais Duomo and the Baptistery before before seeing what all that three-star returning to Florence on the 4:28pm Michelin stuff is about at L’Ambroisie train (arriving 5:30pm). Sample some (just be prepared to empty your wallet). more delectable Tuscan cuisine at din- Get some rest—you’ll have an early ner, then have dessert and coffee at start and a very long day tomorrow. one of the city’s many sidewalk cafes and people-watch. Day 7 Depart Paris on the 9:34am TGV Day 11 train to Avignon, in Provence (arriv- Spend the morning at the Boboli ing at 12:15pm). This former capital Gardens and the Palazzo Pitti. Take a of Christendom offers excellent dining long lunch at Cantinetta Antinori, and the magnificent Palais des Papes sampling the wines. After a siesta, do (Palace of the Popes) for touring. Have some shopping and have a final Tus- an early dinner because you’ll need to can dinner at Trattoria Garga. hop the TGV back to Paris at 9pm to Day 12 arrive at 11:40pm. Fall into bed and get a well-deserved night’s sleep. See Get up early and spend the day in the “Avignon” in chapter 8 for dining Galleria degli Uffizi, one of the options in the city. world’s greatest art museums. Take the 4:13pm express train from Florence to Day 8 Milan, where you’ll have a 1-hour lay- Sleep in a little, have a leisurely break- over before connecting to the 8pm fast and then spend the day at the overnight train to Barcelona. Have Musée d’Orsay and Centre Pompi- dinner on the train or grab something dou. In the afternoon, take tea (or in Milan’s station before you depart. hot chocolate—it’s exceptional) at You’ll arrive in Barcelona at 9:31am. Angelina, a legendary salon de thé. You Day 13 can bring along Parisian takeout or have dinner on the 7:09pm overnight Barcelona has an embarrassment of train to Florence, your base for Tus- riches, both culinary and architectural. cany. You’ll arrive at 7:45am on Day 9. Check into your hotel and then start your day off at La Sagrada Familia Day 9 cathedral, the city’s famous cathedral, Work up your appetite today by and wander the city’s Gothic Quarter. strolling Florence from the Basilica Take lunch at Garduña, located in the di Santa Maria Novella to the back of Catalonia’s best food market, Duomo, the Palazzo Vecchio, and before visiting the Museu Picasso. finally Santa Croce. Have lunch at a Retire to your hotel room for a siesta, simple Italian restaurant such as Buca then eat a late dinner and spend the dell’Orafo or Da Ganino. For dinner, night downing bubbly at Barcelona’s eat at the legendary Tuscan restaurant numerous cava (champagne) bars. See 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 17
ITINERARY 8: WARM-WEATHER EUROPE 17
“Barcelona” in chapter 18 for more on and eat a late dinner at one of dining in the city. Barcelona’s excellent Catalonian restau- rants—Jean Luc Figueras is a good Day 14 choice. Start your day off by visiting the Parc Güell and the Fundació Joan Miró. Day 15 Spend a relaxing afternoon sipping cava Say adios to Europe and fly home and munching tapas at El Xampanyet, from Barcelona.
ITINERARY 8 WARM-WEATHER EUROPE
Duration: 15 days, 14 nights Best time of year: Summer Ideal passes: First-class 8-day 4-country Eurail Selectpass Arrive in: Athens Depart from: Barcelona
There’s a mellow Europe where 3-hour lunches and lounging on the beach is the norm. It’s also an ancient and beautiful place, settled thousands of years ago by Greece and Rome. This 2-week trip brings you along that ancient coastline and lets you sun yourself on the beaches of four countries. Bring your bathing suit and plenty of sunblock!
Day 1 Europe. Eat lunch and spend some Arrive in Athens. After checking into time exploring the charming town of your hotel, start at the Acropolis, Kalavryta, but be sure to get back to strolling downhill to the ancient Agora. the train station in time to catch the Have lunch in the nearby Monastiraki 5pm train back to Diakofto, where or Plaka districts, then take a taxi to the you’ll need to grab the 6:19pm Inter- National Archaeological Museum (it City train back to Athens. Have a late reopens after a 2-year renovation in dinner and get some well-earned sleep. 2004) to see the Mycenaean gold, Day 3 Cycladic idols, and classical bronze statues. Head back to your hotel for a Start your morning off in Athens at siesta, before returning to the Plaka for the Benaki Museum, where all of dinner. If you’re in town during the Greek history is housed under one city’s famous Athens Festival, try to see roof. Afterwards, get some lunch and a play at the Acropolis’s Odeon of do a little shopping in the Plaka. Be Herodes Atticus. For more on Athens, sure to get to the train station in time see “Athens” in chapter 11. to catch the 4:06pm train to Nafplion. You’ll arrive in the scenic town at Day 2 7:04pm. Take a taxi to your hotel, Rise with the sun this morning (it’ll be then grab dinner at a local taverna and worth it) and catch the 8:29am train to call it a day. the seaside village of Diakofto. After Day 4 arriving at 11:36am, hurry and make the 11:48am connection to the rack- Spend your day in Nafplion, wander- and-pinion railroad (p. 457) that runs ing the beautiful town’s streets and the 1-hour mountain route between enjoying the scenery and the beach. Diakofto and Kalavryta. This hidden Walk up to the Acronafplia, and take a gem is one of the most scenic in all of taxi to the top of the Palamidi before 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 18
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walking down. Cap your day by having such as the Galleria Borghese, or coffee at one of the city’s many water- enjoy people-watching on the Piazza front cafes while watching the sunset. della Rotonda near the Pantheon. Take the 11:27pm overnight train to Day 5 Ventimiglia, a border town in Italy It’s time to cross the Adriatic. Take the where you’ll change for the 8:44am 11:27am train from Nafplion to TGV high-speed train to Cannes, Corinth, and switch to the 1:25pm arriving at 10:03am. train to Patras, arriving at 3:29pm. At 6pm, get on the overnight ferry to Day 11 Bari, Italy, arriving at 8:30am. (For You’re only on the Riviera for the day. more on this ferry, see p. 575.) Stash your luggage in lockers at the station and spend the day ogling Day 6 beachgoers (as Cannes’ rocky beach Spend the morning in Bari, then a 1 isn’t very comfortable), window-shop- 1:43pm express train for the 4 ⁄2-hour ping on La Croisette, and pretending journey to Rome. Check into your to be rich and famous. (See chapter 8 hotel, and then have dinner near the for more on the Riviera.) Then get on Pantheon and visit the Trevi Foun- the 10:58pm overnight train to Port- tain. See “Rome” in chapter 14 for bou, a border town in Spain where more sightseeing options in the city. you’ll arrive at 6:14am; wait a bit, then Day 7 hop the 7:35am train to Barcelona. Explore ancient Rome today starting Day 12 at the Capitoline Hill and walking You’ll arrive in Barcelona at 9:42am. along the Via dei Fori Imperiali to the After checking into your hotel, visit ruins of the Colosseum. Nearby you’ll Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia cathedral. find the ruins of the Roman Forum In the evening, stroll the Barri Gòtic, and the Palatine Hill. Have dinner the city’s Gothic quarter, or the famous near the Piazza Navona, then explore La Rambla promenade. For more that famous square and see Bernini’s sightseeing options, see “Barcelona” in Fountain. For more information, see chapter 18. “Rome” in chapter 14. Day 13 Day 8 Start your morning off with a tour of Spend today exploring the treasures of the Museu Picasso, and then spend the Vatican. Take in St. Peter’s Basilica the afternoon among the surreal archi- in the morning and the Vatican Muse- tecture of beautiful Parc Güell. ums in the afternoon. Have dinner in Trastevere. Day 14 Head to the Fundació Joan Miró Day 9 museum in the morning, and then ride Take a day trip to the ancient city of the funicular up Tibidabo Mountain 1 Pompei, just 2 ⁄2 hours from Rome by to the Mirador Torre de Collserola; train. Trains run via Naples and if you the tower offers spectacular vistas of leave Rome at 8:45am and return the coast and city. In the afternoon, from Pompeii at 4:40pm, you’ll have stroll the city’s Gothic quarter and time for dinner in Naples before check out Catedral de Barcelona. returning to Rome. Spend a fun evening sampling the Day 10 bubbly at Barcelona’s many cava During the morning, shop and stroll (champagne) bars. around the Spanish Steps. In the Day 15 afternoon, take in another museum, Fly home from Barcelona. 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 19
ITINERARY 8: WARM-WEATHER EUROPE 19 Itinerary 8: Warm-Weather Europe I ákli
Bucharest Danube Aegean Sea Athens Athens BULGARIA ROMANIA Sofiya Nafplion Thessaloniki Diakofto Diakofto Skopje Corinth GREECE MACEDONIA Patras Patras Kalavryta Kalavryta Belgrade YUGOSLAVIA ALBANIA Tirane Sarajevo Ionian Sea BOSNIA- Gulf of
HERZEGOVINA Taranto Bari Zagreb
TIA Taranto
CROA
S Messina Adriatic Sea
E Pompeii
SLOVENIA N I N Sicily N a Naples Venice SAN- MARINO
E MALTA e P Tiber P S Palermo
A Rome
Po Sea ITALY n Tyrrhenian
Elba a Pisa Milan
e
n Sea
a Ventimiglia Ligurian
r Corsica (FRANCE) TUNISIA
Cannes r (ITALY) Sardinia
e MONACO
N
t n Rhône
i 200 mi
d
e Marseilles 200 km
M Port Bou MASSIF CENTRAL ALGERIA FRANCE Barcelona Toulouse ANDORRA 0 0 BALEARIC ISLANDS SPAIN 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 20
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ITINERARY 9 GREAT CITIES OF EUROPE
Duration: 15 days, 14 nights Best time of year: Spring or Fall Ideal passes: First-class 5-day, 4-country Eurail Selectpass, plus Eurostar ticket Arrive in: Rome Depart from: Berlin
Europe has been the center of many a globe-girdling empire. This 2-week trip gets you to the heart of the Continent’s great cities—and gives you as much time as possible to explore their sights and sounds—and to meet their people.
Day 1 Day 4 Land at Rome’s Fiumicino airport, Get acquainted with Paris. Begin at starting your European rail journey the Arc de Triomphe and stroll down with the train shuttle to the Roma the Champs-Elysees to the Egyptian Termini Station (don’t waste a day on obelisk; then either stand in line for your railpass for this ride, though— the Eiffel Tower or explore the Ile St- the ticket is very cheap). Check into Louis and the Latin Quarter. Around your hotel before starting your explo- sunset, head for Notre-Dame Cathe- ration of ancient Rome, beginning at dral to top off your day. Eat dinner in the Capitoline Hill and walking a Left Bank cafe. See “Paris” in chap- along the Via dei Fori Imperiali to the ter 8 for more information. ruins of the Colosseum. Nearby you’ll Day 5 find the ruins of the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. Have dinner Start your day off exploring the near the Pantheon and visit the Trevi St–Germain–des–Prés area. Move on Fountain. See “Rome” in chapter 14 to the Ile de la Cité, before heading to for more on the city. the Place de la Bastille. Finish your day off by touring fashionable Le Day 2 Marais. Then eat dinner at a brasserie Spend today exploring the treasures of and spend the night people-watching the Vatican. Take in St. Peter’s Basilica at a sidewalk cafe. in the morning and the Vatican Muse- Day 6 ums in the afternoon. Have dinner in Trastevere. Spend the day at the Louvre; if you want a change of scenery, tack on a visit Day 3 to the magnificent Musée d’Orsay. Be During the morning, shop and stroll sure to indulge in some Parisian pas- around the Spanish Steps. In the after- tries before the day is through. noon, take in another museum, such as Day 7 the Galleria Borghese, or enjoy peo- ple-watching on the Piazza della Grab a croissant on the way to the Rotonda near the Pantheon. Around Gare de Lyon and take a morning 5pm, head to Stazione Termini for your Eurostar train to London. The 3-hour first major rail trip: The Artesia journey rockets across France at up to France-Italy Night train departing at 186 mph. It may appear costly, but 7:07pm from Rome, arriving at the $75 passholder fare is no more 10:13am the next morning in Paris. expensive than the combined fare for a For more on the Artesia, see p. 554. high-speed ferry from Calais to Dover 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 21
ITINERARY 9: GREAT CITIES OF EUROPE 21 Itinerary 9: Great Cities of Europe Hamburg Hannover Elbe NETH. AAmsterdammsterdam Berlin U. K. POLAND GERMANY London
Rhine Leipzig BELGIUM Bonn BBrusselsrussels Lille Frankfurt Prague English Channel LUX. CZECH REPUBLIC Seine Stuttgart Strasbourg Seine Paris e Danube Vienna n i h Loire R Munich Tours Dijon AUSTRIA FRANCE Zurich Innsbruck LOIRE VALLEY Bern SWITZERLAND S Geneva P Lyon L SLOVENIA Clermont- A Ferrand Mont Blanc Po Venice CROATIA Bordeaux A P P E Ga N r Rhone N on I ne N E Adriatic Sea S Florence Toulouse P Y R E N E Marseille E S ITALY Corsica 0 200 mi (FRANCE) N Rome 0 200 km
and a local train from Dover to Lon- British Airways London Eye, just don. (See p. 386 for more on across the river. After a quick dinner, Eurostar.) head over to the West End and catch You’ll arrive in London around a show. lunchtime. Leave your bags at your Day 9 hotel and grab lunch at a nearby pub. Spend the afternoon touring the sights If one of your days in London is a of Westminster: Westminster Abbey, weekend, spend some time at one or 10 Downing Street, Big Ben, and the two of the major markets, such as Houses of Parliament. Have dinner in Camden or Portobello Road. If you’re Covent Garden. See “London” in chap- here mid-week, wave hello to the ter 10 for more on the British capital. pigeons in Trafalgar Square and tour the National Gallery, one of Europe’s Day 8 finest art museums (and it’s free!). Grab If you couldn’t get into Westminster some lunch, shop a bit at Covent Gar- Abbey on Day 7, try again. Other- dens, and end your day at the Victoria wise, spend the morning at the & Albert Museum—home to the British Museum, and after lunch world’s greatest collection of decorative head over to the Tower of London. If arts (don’t miss the British Galleries). you have time, take a ride on the 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 22
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Day 10 to the haunting Anne Frank House. Fortify yourself with a good English Have lunch at De Prins, right across breakfast this morning and take a stroll the canal. Unwind with a coffee and near your hotel before heading to “brown-cafe” style food while people- Waterloo station for the 12:27 Eurostar watching along the canal. to Brussels, the capital of the European Make sure to be at Centraal Station Union. The trip takes under 3 hours, in time to catch the zippy 3:13pm but you’ll arrive after 4pm thanks to a InterCity train to Berlin (alas, there 1-hour time difference. See “Brussels” are no decent overnight trains from in chapter 4 for more on the city. Amsterdam to the German capital). In Brussels, stash your luggage at Have dinner on the train and arrive in Gare du Midi, then hop a train to Berlin at 9:11pm. Check into your Gare Central and head to the medieval hotel and get a good night’s sleep. Grand-Place, a World Heritage site, Day 13 for some of the city’s famous seafood and mussels. After dinner, head back In the morning, visit the Branden- to Gare du Midi and get on the burg Gate, symbol of Berlin, then 8:37pm InterCity train for the 3-hour walk down Unter den Linden and trip to Amsterdam. You’ll get in late, enjoy breakfast at one of the cafes that so take a cab to your hotel. We suggest line the street. Head to the store-lined staying near Centraal Station at a Kufurstendamm to witness German hotel such as the Hotel Amsterdam capitalism in action. In the afternoon, or the Amstel Botel. See “Amsterdam” visit the Greek and Roman antiquities in chapter 15 for more hotel options. in the Pergamon Museum, then head south to explore the charming 16th- Day 11 century Nikolai Quarter. If they are You’ve only got 2 days in Amsterdam, playing when you are in town, the so focus on the city center. Explore the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is core of the city either by foot or on a one of the best in the world. For more canal boat, stopping at the Dam on the city, see “Berlin” in chapter 9. Square, the picturesque Flower Mar- Day 14 ket at Muntplein, the immense market at Waterlooplein, and the lively Leid- Visit the masterpieces at the Gemälde- seplein. After a late lunch, stop at the galerie, then tour Charlottenburg renowned Rijksmuseum to see its cur- Palace and its museums. Spend any rent “greatest hits” exhibition of Dutch leftover time strolling through Berlin, art. For dinner, sample one of the city’s perhaps stopping at the Cold War’s Indonesian rijsttafel buffets. After Checkpoint Charlie. Or take a day dinner, if you dare, take an evening trip to beautiful Potsdam, just 23 min- walk through the Red Light District on utes away by train (29 trains depart the way back to your hotel—it only throughout the day), and explore the gets livelier as it gets later. Sans Souci Palace and its surrounding parkland. After dinner, do as Berliners Day 12 do and have a drink at a Kneipe, the Check out of your hotel, store your local version of a British pub. luggage, and head to the western part Day 15 of the city this morning, past the Dutch Renaissance-style Westerkerk, Fly back to your home from Berlin. 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 23
ITINERARY 10: THE GRAND TOUR 23
ITINERARY 10 THE GRAND TOUR
Duration: 15 days, 14 nights Best time of year: Any time Ideal passes: First-class 15-day Eurailpass Arrive in: Lisbon Depart from: Berlin
The European Union may have a single currency (well, minus a few pesky hold- outs here and there), but it’s got more than a dozen unique cultures. A dozen in 15 days is a bit too much of a challenge for us, but this long-distance journey lets you experience six distinctly different flavors of Europe without having to change your money once—the most diversity and least hassle you can get in 2 weeks. Note that the five rail legs used in this itinerary are night trains, so you’ll save on hotel rooms, but will have to budget for sleeper supplements.
Day 1 in the Plaza Mayor area. See “Madrid” Time your flight to arrive in Lisbon as in chapter 18 for more on the city. early as possible. Start your day with a Day 4 stroll through the Alfama, the most atmospheric quarter of Lisbon. Visit Check out the masterpieces at the the city’s 12th-century cathedral and Museo Lazaro Galdiano in the morn- take in a view of the city and the river ing and shop the El Rastro flea market Tagus from the Miradouro de Santa in the afternoon. Or take a day trip to Luzia. Climb up to the Castelo de explore the Moorish architectural São Jorge and take in another breath- riches of Cordoba—hourly AVE express trains leave from Madrid’s taking view from the castle’s observa- 1 tion platform. Consider a nap before Atocha station for the 2 ⁄2-hour jour- spending a late night at a fado club in ney. See “Cordoba” in chapter 18 for the Alfama. See “Lisbon” in chapter more on this Moorish city. 17 for more information on the Por- Day 5 tuguese capital. Spend your day at the Prado, and take Day 2 the overnight train to Paris. This train, Head to the suburb of Belém to see the one of the Elipsos series, is one of Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jerónimos Europe’s most luxurious regular trips; Monastery), the Torre de Belém, and even the most basic accommodation is the Museu Nacional dos Coches a four-berth sleeper, not a six-berth (National Coach Museum). After couchette room like those on many lunch, see the artworks at the Museu other trains (p. 38). de Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Day 6 or shop at the open-air Feira da See Day 4 of the “ Great Cities of Ladra. Take the overnight Lusitania Europe” itinerary (p. 20). hotel train to Madrid (p. 38). Day 7 Day 3 See Day 5 of the “Great Cities of Drop your luggage at your hotel, then Europe” itinerary (p. 20). start your day in Madrid at the Royal Palace and work your way east to the Day 8 Monasterio las Descalzas Reales. Spend the day immersed in art at the After checking into your hotel, snack Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay. Grab your way around the many tapas bars 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 24
24 CHAPTER 1 . TOURING EUR0PE BY RAIL Itinerary 10: The Grand Tour North Dublin Sea Elbe REPUBLIC OF U. K. AAmsterdammsterdam NNETH.ETH. BerlinBerlin POLAND IRELAND P London RRhine GERMANY h i n e Bonn BBELGIUMELGIUM BELGIUM PPraguerague a n n e l C h LUX.LUX. E n g l i s h Hof CCZECHZ E C H REPUBLICR E P U B L I C Seine Paris Seine e n i LLinzinz VViennaienna h R Danube Dijon AUSTRIA Loire LLoebenoeben Bay LOIRE VALLEY SWITZ. Geneva P S Tarviso H of L SLOVENIASLOVENIA FRANCE A Milan Biscay MMontont BBlanclanc Bordeaux VVeniceenice CROATIA Ga ro Parma nn BBolognaologna Adriati e Rhone
Florence e P Y R E N c Sea e E E S Marseille ITALY Corsica Douro (FRANCE) L Rome A
G Barcelona U Madrid T Madrid Sardinia R (ITALY) Tyrrhenian PORTUGAL O Tagus P Sea
Lisbon Mediterranean Sea Cordoba SPAIN Seville 0 200 mi SStraittrait ooff GGibraltaribraltar N 0 200 km
some gourmet French takeout at Fau- and take in the art at the Palazzo chon for dinner and take the overnight Pitti. Take the 10:09pm overnight train to Florence, departing Paris at train to Vienna, arriving at 8:47am. If 7:07pm and arriving at 7:45am. you can, get up around 6:45am to watch the train go over the 150-year- Day 9 old Semmering Pass Railway, the only Florence is all about art. Spend your rail line on UNESCO’s list of World day strolling the city from the Basilica Heritage Sites. di Santa Maria Novella to the Duomo, the Palazzo Vecchio, and Day 11 finally Santa Croce. Florence is all See Day 7 of the “Riding the Scenic about food, too, so load up on Tuscan Route” itinerary (p. 8). cuisine at dinner. See “Florence” in Day 12 chapter 14 for dining options in the city. Explore other major Vienna attrac- tions, such as the Hofburg Palace Day 10 Complex and the Kunsthistorisches Allot the entire day for the Galleria Museum. Get to the train station in degli Uffizi, one of the world’s great- time to take the 9:28pm overnight est art museums. If you need a change train to Berlin (arriving at 7:52am). of scenery, stroll the Boboli Gardens 541102 Ch01.qxd 2/25/04 8:54 AM Page 25
ITINERARY 10: THE GRAND TOUR 25
Day 13 Day 14 You’ll get to Berlin by breakfast time, Visit the masterpieces at the Gemälde- so head for Unter den Linden and galerie, then tour Charlottenburg enjoy breakfast at one of the cafes that Palace and its museums. Spend any line the street. Head to the store-lined leftover time strolling through Berlin, Kufurstendamm to shop until you perhaps stopping at the Cold War’s feel like eating lunch. In the afternoon, Checkpoint Charlie. Top off your visit the Greek and Roman antiquities trip with a drink at one of Berlin’s in the Pergamon Museum, then head vaunted wine cellars. south to explore the charming 16th- Day 15 century Nikolai Quarter. If they are playing when you are in town, the Fly home from Berlin. Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the best in the world. For more on the city, see “Berlin” in chapter 9.