Stopover vacation in Europe

FB2020 · Post by **FB2020** » Tue Mar 01, 2016 2:31 am

Has anyone stopped in Europe for a vacation on their way to India?
I'm looking for experiences and suggestions on not-so-expensive place to go for 5-6 days on our way to india.

Should have some attractions to see, not interested in places with historical significance.

Any tips, travel arrangement suggestions etc. would be great.

ILuvHyd · Post by **ILuvHyd** » Tue Mar 01, 2016 3:12 am

You should try London. Lot to see there and fits nicely in 5-6 days. It has something to offer to everyone, good food and language is not a problem. Also helps you with adjusting to jet lag better in India.

London is costly so you need to hunt for right hotel that suits your budget. I suggest to stay in Central London where everything is closeby. A strong dollar against GBP is in your favor.

Take an Oyster card once you land there in any big train station. I think you can also do it online in advance and it will be shipped to your home in US, but not sure. Kids travel free. This works for both tube (London underground) and buses. Take a good sim card in London Airport with some data, use Google maps to navigate between places (public transit) is very accurate.
https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster/entry.do

I would start here at TripAdvisor - http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g186338-Activities-London_England.html

Vivekananda · Post by **Vivekananda** » Tue Mar 01, 2016 8:32 am

We have used Jet Airways to stop at Brussels...took the trains, and bus to Amsterdam, Prague, and Paris. You need to book ahead for trains, otherwise it gets very expensive. It is better to take the Euro Lines bus service between major cities with out needing to plan ahead. You should still buy the bus tickets several hours ahead of time since they can get filled up. Amsterdam clearly is one of a kind with it's canals, and architecture. Prague is a beautiful city to visit. Paris is great with its buildings, and boulevards. I felt that Amsterdam, and Prague were more fun for the tourist.

dbs · Post by **dbs** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 7:54 pm

health shine;628002I have stayed in London for 5 days , and just didnt had enough , i have fallen in love with the city , will explore it more every time I visit. I guess more sugestions are needed to roam around Europe. Suggest me the places if I have 15 days to see Europe.

Praha, Vienna, Amsterdam, Munich are my favourites.

teera · Post by **teera** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 9:57 pm

We?ve stopped over in Europe a few times on the way to India. It is a good option to optimize travel time and budget. One itinerary I would recommend is Switzerland. I think I made this point earlier too in another thread.

Zurich is an ideal place for such a stopover. There is an affordable locker in the airport to put away the big India luggage right upon arrival. Most of the attractions/cities in Switzerland are day trips from Zurich. The main train station that connects to all the popular destinations is right in the lower level of the airport. There are several hotels around the airport with shuttle service to choose from as the base. Trains are very convenient and one can cover Germany and Austria as well.

Gurg15 · Post by **Gurg15** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 10:00 pm

Have taken three stopover breaks in European sofar, fourth break is on this summer. Each break is approximately 7-10days and we prefer our own schedule. Have a base city and fly around from there. Have visited a couple of other individual cities, seperately. This is what people do.

1. London, Brussels, Amsterdam
2. Paris, Barcelona, Madrid & Seville, Lisbon
3. Prague, Vienna, Salzburg
4. Rome, Florence, Pisa, Venice

Tripadvisor is a great resource to start planning and for places to visit and stay.

FB2020 · Post by **FB2020** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 10:15 pm

Thanks, great pointers all.

If I had to choose just one place, what would that be, which is most suitable for kids. E.g. more like attractions/water falls/ disney style parks etc. as opposed to things like museums etc.

Gurg15 · Post by **Gurg15** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 10:21 pm

FB2020;628021Thanks, great pointers all.

If I had to choose just one place, what would that be, which is most suitable for kids. E.g. more like attractions/water falls/ disney style parks etc. as opposed to things like museums etc.

For theme parks its Paris. Paris is a city, I can go back again and again. Made two trips and still have not had enough. Last time we rented an apt on vrbo.com close to louvre and also made side trips to Fontainbleau, etc.

okonomi · Post by **okonomi** » Thu Apr 07, 2016 7:02 pm

FB2020;624540Has anyone stopped in Europe for a vacation on their way to India?
I'm looking for experiences and suggestions on not-so-expensive place to go for 5-6 days on our way to india.
Should have some attractions to see, not interested in places with historical significance.
Any tips, travel arrangement suggestions etc. would be great.

OK... here is some rain on the parade. This is not about France and Belgium going through hectic times, and Schipol airport having more scrutiny on everyone.

Going to India used to involve maximum checked-in and carry-on items. Perhaps it still does. Intermediate stops with wanderings where this luggage becomes one's responsibility, should be attempted with high caution. Especially when there are children coming along. Upto a certain age, children are like carry-on luggage, even when they are leashed. It is a stressful thing, to put children through some amusement park hoop, when they are suffering a 7 or 8 hour jetlag. Just like grownups, they too would like to get this travel-thing over with, and put their heads down for an extended slumber in grandparents' home or uncle/auntie's home.

OP should seriously consider taking a holiday in Europe that is very separate from travel to India.

advitha · Post by **advitha** » Fri Apr 08, 2016 4:29 am

We have done this twice. First time we took swiss air and stopped in Zurich, and did switzerland trip combined with Italy. Last year we took a stopover in Paris, drove around normandy and french villages and flew to Praha, took a bus from there to Munich and did a road trip till Frankfurt. It was an awesome trip we have ever made. We planned everything from here. My husband did all the bookings after researching through many forums. Both the trips we did for 10 days. If you have only 5 to 6 days then you can do Italy (Rome, vatican, florence or Milan) or France. Both have bed & bath type of Inns or inexpensive hotels in a good neighborhood. Look into priceline or booking.com to get a cheaper/nicer accomodation. Book train tickets online. Metro tickets are available at the stations. We even booked our bus tickets, from Praha to Munich, few months before.

advitha

FB2020;624540Has anyone stopped in Europe for a vacation on their way to India?
I'm looking for experiences and suggestions on not-so-expensive place to go for 5-6 days on our way to india.

Should have some attractions to see, not interested in places with historical significance.

Any tips, travel arrangement suggestions etc. would be great.