Bored with my mundane desk job of 12 hours, I have been impatient to go out for a break, but as usual "getting leaves frequently" is a big deal in IT companies in India but I was anyway going to take off.
While I was planning for a solo trip in Turkey, one of my old friend rang me up to ask if I will be interested to join her for a backpacking Euro trip!????????
It was an immediate YES!
Just the mention of Europe has been enough to make me excited. And why shouldn’t it? With its treasure trove of scenic beauty, rich history, artistic heritage and culinary diversity, it is a dream for almost anyone across the world.
We have drawn out a plan for 11 days starting in September end with Italy as the entry point and France as the exit point.
Route: Mumbai - > Italy - >Austria - > Switzerland - > France- > Mumbai
I have taken Emirates flight from Mumbai to Rome via Dubai at 10.30 PM. It was very tiring journey for me as I and my friend who was joining me in Dubai from Bangalore, started immediately after office on a hectic Friday day! ????
3 Days in Italy: Rome, Naples and Tuscany
We landed at Leonardo DA Vinci International Airport in Fiumicino, Rome, early morning 7:30 AM CET. I was surprised to see such a rush at the airport on a Saturday early morning with slow moving,
Since it is the peak tourist season in Europe, people from different countries flocked in. These months witnesses autumn seasons in Europe and is the best time to visit countries like Belgium, Sweden, Spain, Paris, and the Netherlands.
Fiumicino International Airport is situated 26 kilometers (16 miles) outside Rome, but there are multiple options to travel from airport to Rome Termini, the main railway station in Rome.
There are both buses and trains between the airport and the train station, but most take the express train Leonardo Express, which leaves every half hour in each direction from about 6 in the morning to 11 at night and the tickets cost as of 2019 is €14 per person and the 37-kilometer trip takes about 32 minutes.
A word of caution: Be aware that any offer to help you buy tickets or carry your bags is likely to lead to a demand for money from you or rob you .
Alternatively, you can get a taxi into central Rome by using the taxi stand in front of Fiumicino airport costing about 48 euros. There is a fixed rate for up to four people and their luggage.
A word of caution: Use only authorized taxis (white vehicles with a taximeter) available
There are also buses from the airport. The train is quicker, but it's more expensive. The bus also offers a short panoramic tour of some of the main sights of the city (you will go past the Colosseum, at least).
Rome Airport Shuttle, a van service is also available which can take you to your hotel or private address in Rome.
Since we were very tired and had luggages to carry, we decided to take a shared taxi from airport costing us 35 euros for two people. The taxis resemble to the black Mercedes/SUVs with black glasses, reminds you of scenes of Italian mafia from Godfather movie! :)
As we drove past the city, the ancient structure and that quaint Italian houses transfers you to another world.
We have booked an Airbnb named House of Music hosted by Gianmarco, an archaeologist by profession. The place, located in a quite locally called Prenestino was really good, cozy and clean. Our hosts were very friendly and helpful.
It was the first day in Rome so we have decided to explore the city all by ourselves. We have taken a few tips from one of our host's friend Adriano, who gave us a map of Rome and shown where we should begin.
We went to a nearby cafe for some quick bites as directed by our host.It was a pleasant, dry autumn afternoon in Rome to be enjoyed with a hot
We bought a 24 hours all transport ticket from the local Tabacchi store and boarded Tram 5 to the Vittorio Emanuele Metro station with a change of line to get down at
Rome is a big city with lots of historical monuments scattered in every corner of the city, blending in the modern city life. The city moves so easily between life and stone, and so gracefully balances its opposites. The cobblestone laid roads gives an authentic ancient Rome feeling while the chaos and noise of its major thoroughfares bring you back to present Rome.
After a long walking marathon around the city, we headed back to our
Word of advice: Please carry comfortable shoes as you have to cover most of the city on foot and trust me, it is really exhausting and painful for people who are not used to walking so much. I was constantly reminded of abundance of autowalas in Mumbai for short distance travels and yes! India is better in this sense.
We have booked our tours in advance and planned all our 11 days accordingly, but unfortunately, our Naples, the Amalfi coast trip got cancelled a day before we were supposed to start so we have to make arrangements on our own
By mid morning, we took a train from Rome Termini station in Naples and from Naples, boarded Circumvesuviana train for Pompeii. On the Circumvesuviana Napoli-Sorrento line it takes 30 to 40 minutes to get to Pompeii from either Naples or Sorrento
You have to buy tickets to visit the site from government owned ticket counters just in front of the entrance gate
Pompeii, the ruined ancient Roman city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was engulfed by Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79. It was a huge site, full of ruins and uneven cobblestone roads. Walking the old Roman stone roads can be quite exhausting, especially in the heat of summer with loads of fellow tourists everywhere, trying to cope up with our over-enthusiastic but entertaining guide.
After Naples we covered the Vatican city and Colosseum. We have booked a guided tour in advance. The meeting point was front gate of Vatican city so we took a metro from Roma Termini to Ottaviano station which is the nearest metro station for Vatican city.
It was sunny, hot and dry day with a sea of tourists in Vatican city! Everywhere you go, you will see Human, not architecture! When our guide took us inside St. Peter's Basilica, it was very suffocating with long queues of tourist moving slowly and I am claustrophobic.
In the second half of the day, we were booked for Colosseum guided tour from same tour company and meeting point was Colosseo station.
Metro map for Rome was very easy to follow so transportation is not a challenge but reaching to any tram/metro station takes a loads of walking!
One our 4th day, we started for Tuscany, early in the morning. We have covered Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Chianti, and Pisa.
Tuscany with its diverse natural landscape encompasses the rugged Apennine Mountains, the island of Elba’s beaches on the Tyrrhenian Sea and Chianti’s olive groves and vineyards must be experienced at ease with a glass of authentic Italian wine. We did regret not staying in Florence for a day or two.
Florence, the capital of Tuscany in central Italy , the home to some of the world’s most recognizable Renaissance art and architecture, including Michelangelo’s "David" statue, Botticelli’s works in the Uffizi Gallery and the Duomo basilica.
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We took a direct overnight train from Florence to Salzburg after the day long trip to Tuscany . We will be joining the tour group at 8 AM
It was cold, rainy autumn morning in Salzburg
I instantly fell in love with the city! ????
We were picked up from the tour company office buy our guide and driver
After a whole day tour, we boarded
I heard from everyone that among all the cities I am visiting in Europe, I will love Vienna the most and it was the truth!
Vienna, Austria’s capital and home
We left Vienna our second day for Switzerland in an overnight train.
2 Days in Switzerland
We have stayed at my friend's place so did not book an
On our second day, we started for swiss lake town Lucerne and trip to Jungfrau, Swiss Alps. We have booked our day long trip to Jaunfrauloch, Swiss alps. Before our trip
Our tour bus started from Lucerne station 9 AM in the morning. If you are not booking a tour
At 4,089
The ride the cogwheel train in Grindelwald for a remarkable journey through
I felt as though I can reach out and touch the north face of Mt Eiger during the train ride! ????
My happiest moment in this euro trip was when I reached the peak! ????
At -10 degree celsius, it was freezing cold and the frozen landscape with never ending cold wind whizzing through every bone of my body was unbearable!
As I mentioned about peak seasons, there was a long line to take picture with the swiss flag and waiting with wind blowing around you freezing every bit of body was really challenging!
I hardly could see anything as my shades was masked by snow and my contact lenses were dry but best thing was I did not give up ! ????
After a long
It was already dark outside and raining so there was nothing much was to do. We went inside the station and killed some time there till we catch our bus at 12.30 PM at night
It was
We left for Paris from Lucerne by
We were already exhausted so planned to catch some 6 hours sleep in bus but bus journey was not at all comfortable. There was a
In the early morning 5AM
Assessing the situation of bus in Europe, I decided to burn
3 Days in France
Around afternoon, we reached Paris Gare de l'Est train station. We booked an
While waiting for our host outside the apartment, we met a lady who looked Asian. Seeing our tired faces waiting in the cold , she asked why we were waiting downstairs. We told her the story and that since we reached early at the
This lady was an
After freshening up, we started our city tour with
Metro was
We have already bought Paris pass for 2 days in Paris which gave us free entry to all museums and monuments, two days all transport pass and Hop-on-hop-off bus tour.
At night , we went for Le Moulin Rouge show ,close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche.
After a exciting 2 and half day in Paris, we headed back home from Paris-Charles De Gaulle airport to Mumbai via Dubai!
It was a great experience with so much seen and more left to be seen. I am ticking off another item from my #BucketList2019. ????
Do I want to go back again? Yes, definitely but another country for feel the "Essences of Europe!" ! ????
Drop me a massage for full itinerary and other details!
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