Planning a trip to Europe can be rather complicated and time consuming, particularly if you’re planning a 1 month Europe itinerary and visiting Europe in winter.  Putting together a Europe by train itinerary for one month in Europe is no easy task.  Narrowing down the countries/cities to visit, which order to visit them in, how to get between cities, how long to stay in each, where to stay in each and what attractions to visit, not to mention putting together a budget is extremely time consuming!

I have got sooooo much content from our Europe trip, but in this post I am going to give a brief overview of our Europe trip itinerary and how we got around between cities via train.  Hopefully you can use this information to assist you plan your Europe trip and benefit from the crazy number of hours it took me to put together our one-month Europe itinerary.

So this post is going to be a little different to my usual posts as in this post I am going to share with you all the practical stuff like how we got between cities, where we stayed and what we did etc, so if you’re considering a similar itinerary, some of my hours and hours of research may be of some benefit.

So let’s get into it, the finer details of our 1 month in Europe.

Check out more Europe travel tips here.

Europe in Winter: 1 Month Europe Itinerary 

We flew from Australia to Europe via Beijing with Air China – who were brilliant.  By no means are they anything like Qantas or similar airlines, but for the price we paid (which was $800 return each) we had a lovely comfortable flight, great entertainment, ok food and friendly service.  I wouldn’t hesitate flying with them again.

Day 1: Arrive in Europe, Germany

After a long layover in Beijing we arrived in Frankfurt at 5.15 pm.  Whilst I would have loved to have stayed an explored Frankfurt, there just wasn’t enough time in our itinerary.  So we headed to the airport station (Frankfurt-Flughafen Fernbf station) for a train to Berlin.

It’s super easy to get to the train station as it’s located at the airport and so all you need to do is follow the signs.

Once we arrived at the train station, this is where we made our very first mistake.  We had 1-month Europe train pass with Eurail (click here to find out more about what we thought about the Eurail Pass), but given we had just over 1 month in Europe, the passes didn’t start for a few more days.  I wasn’t too worried as I had looked up the Europe rail ticket prices online a few weeks before and they were only going to cost around $150 AUD for the 3 of us.  If you’re not keen on the train you can also take a bus around Europe too.

Click here to check current prices of Eurail passes.

However, little did I know that buying tickets last minute at the station cost a premium.  It ended up costing us $450 AUD for the 3 tickets!  I was absolutely shocked – but what could I do?  We needed to get to Berlin.  So learn from my mistake – always buy your rail tickets online in advance!

The train to Berlin took 4.5 hours and we arrived at the main station (Berlin Hauptbahnhof) which was only a 5-10 minute walk to our hostel – Jugendgästehaus Hauptbahnhof (read more about our hostel here).

TIP: If you’re traveling in Germany by train make sure you download the DB Navigator App.  This APP was an absolute godsend for us, telling us the best train routes to take, which platform trains were leaving from and all in real time so you could see if a train was running late.

Day 2: Explore Berlin

Read more about all the below attractions and our time in Berlin in our Berlin with Kids guide.

Our first full day in Europe and we were ready to get out and explore.  Here is a quick overview of how we spent our first day:

• The Reichstag Building.
  • Walked about 15 minutes from our hotel to the Reichstag Building.
  • Entry free – book a month in advance to visit the dome.  Click here to book.
  • They have a free audio guide in English.
  • We spent around 1 hour here.
• The Brandenburg Gate:
  • From the Reichstag building we walked about 5 minutes to the Brandenburg Gate.
  • No entry fee.
  • We spent around 5-10 minutes here.
• The Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe
  • From the Brandenburg Gate we walked about 5 minutes to the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe.
  • No entry fee.
  • We spent around 15 minutes here.
  • There is an information centre here as well which we had planned to visit, but its not recommended for children under 14 so we decided to follow this advice and didn’t enter.
• The German Spy Museum
  • From the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe we walked about 5 minutes to the German Spy Museum.
  • Price adults 12 €, kids 8 €, < 6 free.  Click here to buy tickets online.
  • We spent around 2 hours here.
• Potsdamer Platz
  • From the Germany Spy Museum, we walked about 5 minutes to Potsdamer Platz.
  • We explored the Christmas Markets in Potsdamer Platz and had a late lunch.  There are stacks of great Christmas markets in Germany.
• Used the DB Navigator App to find the best way home and so took a bus back to the Berlin Main Station and walked 5-10 minutes back to our hostel – Jugendgästehaus Hauptbahnhof.

Just to note that the Tiergarten (gardens) are just in front of the Brandenburg Gate, so if you want to visit them, its probably best whilst you are in this region.

The benefit of having a European rail pass like the Eurail Global Pass is that you can use it to ride the S-Bahn (metro trains) in Germany as well.  However as mentioned, we had to wait a few days to activate our Global Pass so once we arrived in Berlin we got a Welcome Card which allowed us to use the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, bus and tram system.  Given we only used public transport once on this day, in hindsight it probably wasn’t necessary for this day.  See our Berlin with kids guide for more information about public transport costs.

Day 3: Explore Berlin

 

Here is a short overview of how we spent our second day exploring Berlin:

• Changed Hotels:
  • We changed to a hotel located in the East of Germany – Schulz Hotel Berlin Wall.
  • To do this we walked 5-10 minutes to the Berlin main station and took a train to Berlin Ostbahnhof.
  • Our hotel was located directly across from the station.
• DDR Museum:
  • We left our bags and then went back to the station and took a train to Alexanderplatz and then walked 10 minutes to the DDR Museum.
  • Price adults 9.80 €, kids 6 €, < 6 free.  Click here to buy tickets online.
  • We spent around 3 hours here.

• Right outside the DDR Museum, there is a lovely view of the Berliner Dom and the River Spree. Museum Island is also just across the bridge if you wish to visit any of the 5 museums located here.

• Nikolaiviertel:
  • From the DDR Museum, we walked 5 minutes along the River Spree to the old residential quarter of Nikolaiviertel
  • Nice area to stroll through and admire the old buildings. We found a lovely little café for lunch here.

• Menschen Museum:
  • From Nikolaiviertel , we walked 5 minutes to the Menschen Museum at Alexanderplatz.
  • Price adults 14 €, kids 9 €, < 7 free
  • We spent around 1 hour here.

• Nineties Exhibit:
  • From the Menschen Museum, we walked 10 minutes to the Nineties Exhibit.
  • Price adults 11.25 €, kids 7.65 €, < 6 free
  • We spent around 1.5 hour here.

• From the Nineties Exhibit, we walked 10 minutes to Alexanderplatz station and took a train back to the station across from our hotel. Here we had currywurst for dinner before heading to our hotel.

Other attractions in this area: Museum Island, TV Tower, Berlin Dungeon and Sea Life.

Our Eurail Global Pass was active from today, so this gave us free transportation on the S-Bahn.  If we didn’t have this pass it would have been best value to just purchase rail tickets for each journey.

Day 4: Explore Berlin

 

Here is a short overview of how we spent our third day exploring Berlin:

• Checkpoint Charlie:
  • We walked across the road from our hotel to the train station and took a train to the Checkpoint Charlie station to visit Checkpoint Charlie.
  • There is no entry free, we spent about 10 minutes here.

• Checkpoint Charlie Museum:
  • Right by Checkpoint Charlie is the Checkpoint Charlie Museum which we visited.
  • Price adults 14.50 €, kids 9.50 €, <6 free.  Click here to purchase tickets online.
  • We spent around 1 hour here.

• Topography of Terror:
  • From the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, we walked around 5 minutes to the Topography of Terror.
  • Entry is free
  • We spent around 1.50 hours here.

• We then had lunch at a great Lebanese café just outside the Topography of Terror along Wilhelmstraße.

• Berlin Jewish Museum:
  • We then walked around 10 minutes to the Berlin Jewish Museum.
  • Price adults 8€ kids 3 €, < 6 free.
  • We spent around 1 hour here.

• Turkish Market:
  • We then walked about 10 minutes to Hallesches Tor station and took a train to U Kottbusser Tor and walked another 5 minutes to the Turkish Market.
  • Entry is free – but price really depends on how much food or things you want to buy – we tried a lot!
  • We spent around 1 hour here.

• The Wall Museum:
  • From the Turkish Market, we walked back to U Kottbusser Tor station and took a train to Berlin Warschauer Straße. From here we walked just a few minutes to the Wall Museum.
  • Price adults 12.50 €, kids 6.50 €, <7 free
  • We spent around 1 hour here.

 We then had dinner across the road at yet another Lebanese café and from here it was a 10 minute walk to our hotel.

Day 5: Explore Berlin and take late train to Prague

 

Here is a short overview of how we spent our fourth and final day exploring Berlin: 

• East Side Gallery:
  • We walked a few minutes from our hotel to the East Side Gallery.
  • Entry is free
  • We spent around 30 minutes here.

• Berlin Little Big City:
  • From the East Side Gallery, we walked about 5 minutes to Berlin Warschauer Straße station and took a train to Alexanderplatz and then walked 5 minutes to Berlin Little Big City.
  • Price 10 €, <3 free.  Click here to purchase tickets online.
  • We spent around 2 hours minutes here.

• Alexanderplatz Christmas Markets:
  • We then visited the Alexanderplatz Christmas Markets, which are right outside Little Big City.  We wandered around, tried a few different things for lunch and browsed the stalls.
  • Entry is free.
  • We spent around 1 hour here.

• Mid afternoon we returned by train to our hotel to grab our bags and then took a train back to Berlin Main Station. We then used our Eurail passes and took the 5.16 PM Eurocity 179 from Berlin station to Prague which arrived at 9.30 PM.  The Prague station is a little out of town so we decided to just get an Uber to our hotel at U Tri Bubnu.  Which cost around $7 AUD.

Tip: You can purchase food on Europe trains, sometimes the food is good, sometimes not.  I recommend stopping at a supermarket and bring your own picnic on board.  You can even bring wine on board – it is Europe after all!

Day 6: Explore Prague

 

Here is a short overview of our first full exploring Prague:

Read more about all the below attractions and our time in Prague in our Prague with Kids guide. 

• Not long after we woke up it began to snow, which was absolutely magical for us all. We left our hotel in the Old Town for a walk.  We walked across the Manes Bridge, where we had great views of the Charles Bridge as well as the Prague Castle.

• We then walked through the various alleys along the left bank until we stumbled across the John Lennon Wall.

• As the snow continued to fall and get heavier and heavier the city was starting to become blanketed in snow. We walked through the Kampa Park, whilst stopping to play in the snow and make snow balls along the way.

• From here we crossed the Střelecký ostrov, stopped in a café to warm up and then continued back to the Old Town Square.

• At 11 am, we headed to the Old Town Hall for a guided tour around the area which included the Astronomical clock, Old Town Square, Theatre of the Estates, Powder Tower Municipal House, Ungelt, Pařížská Street, Josefov (former Jewish Quarter) and Charles Bridge. However not too long into the tour I began feeling very faint and so we left to rest.

• After some rest and something to eat in a café in the Old Town Square we headed off to the Church of Our Lady before Týn. Entry is free and we spent around 10 minutes here.

• We then walked around 5 minutes to the Jewish Quarter. The Jewish Quarter includes Maisel Synagogue, Pinkas Synagogue, Old Jewish Cemetery, Klausen Synagogue, Ceremonial Hall, Spanish Synagogue and Robert Guttmann Gallery.
  • Tickets are 350 CZK per adult and 250 CZK per child – <6 is free.
  • We didn’t have time to view it all but we visited the Pinkas Synagogue and the Old Jewish Cemetery. We spent around 1 hour here.

• We then returned to the Old Town Hall for a guided tour inside the hall and Tower. The tour went for 90 minutes and took us behind the Astronomical Clock, through the Town Hall as well as through the underground rooms.

• We then went just across the square to the Illusion Art Museum.
  • Tickets are 250 CZK per adult and 150 CZK per child – <6 is free.
  • We spent around 1 hour here.
• We then went an explored the Christmas Markets which were in the Old Square as well as the stores along Celetna.

 

Day 7: Explore Prague

Here is a short overview of our second day exploring Prague:

• We walked around 20 minutes to the Prague Castle:
  • There are various different ticket options, but we opted for a Circuit B Ticket which is 250 CZK per adult, 125 CZK per child, 500 CZK per family or <6 free. We also hired the audio guide which cost 350 CZK for 3 hours.  See more information on tickets here.
  • We spent around 3 hours here.

• We then took a tram to Pražský hrad and then walked about 5 minutes to see the Dancing House.
  • Free to look.
  • We spent about 5 minutes here.

• We then took a train to the Museum of Communism:
  • Tickets are 290 CZK per adult and 250 CZK per child, family ticket is 600 CZK or <10 free.
  • We spent around 1.5 hours here.

• We then walked about 10 minutes back to your hotel for a rest before spending the evening wandering around the area.

 

Day 8: Prague to Vienna – Explore Vienna

On this day, we got up very early and took an Uber (which cost about $5 AUD) to the train station to catch the 6.50 am train to Vienna.

We arrived in Vienna at 10.49 am and took a taxi (which was 10 E) to our accommodation which was a private apartment in Naglergasse 19/2.

Read more about all the below attractions and our time in Vienna in our Vienna with Kids guide.

After we checked into our accommodation, we started exploring the city of Vienna.  Here is a quick overview:

• We walked 5 minutes to see St Stephens Cathedral:
  • Entry is free.
  • We spent around 15 minutes here.

• We then walked around 5 minutes to try the famous sausage from Bitzinger in Albertinaplatz.

• Around this time it started pouring down with rain so we decided to jump on board a hop on hop off bus and took a tour around the city.  Click here if you’re interested in finding out more about the hop on hop off bus.

• Once it stopped raining, we hopped off the bus at Rathausplatz where we looked around the Christmas markets as well as went Ice Skating.

• We then walked around 10 minutes to Glacis Beisl which is a lovely restaurant famous for having the best Vienna schnitzel.

• We then walked around 15 minutes back to our apartment, admiring all the various Christmas lights along the way.

TIP: If you’re traveling in Vienna by train make sure you download the OBB App.  This APP was an absolute godsend for us, telling us the best train routes to take, which platform trains were leaving from and all in real time so you could see if a train was running late.

Day 9: Explore Vienna

Here is a short overview of second full our day exploring Vienna:

• We took a train to Schonbrunn Palace:
  • There are various ticket options, but we opted for the Children’s Museum (8.80 € per adult, 6.70 € per child and <3 free) and the Imperial Tour (14.20 € per adult, 10.50 € per child and <6 free).  Click here to see the full range of ticket options.
  • Before leaving the Schonbrunn Palace, we had some lunch at the Christmas markets in the palace gardens.
  • We spent around 4 hours at the Schonbrunn Palace, including travel time.

• We took the hop on hop off bus from Schonbrunn Palace to the Hofburg Palace.
  • We didn’t go inside pay to go inside this palace, but there is still plenty you can see for free.  The place is huge!

• We then walked around 10 minutes over to Zoom Children’s Museum.
  • This is not your standard museum, in that you don’t just go inside to look, rather you book into various workshops.  We didn’t know this at the time, so we had around an hour to wait until the next workshop.  So we found a café nearby for something to eat whilst we waited.
  • Workshop topics and pricing varies, but the workshop Myla did was on the earth and cost 6 €.  Click here to see the full range of workshops available.
  • We spent around 1 hour here.

• When we left the Children’s Museum, we walked the 15 minutes home, stopping for some delicious Goulash for dinner.

Day 10: Vienna to Carinthia 

This day was Christmas Eve and so we got up bright and early to catch the train from Vienna at 6.25 am to visit friends in Carinthia.  We arrived just after lunch and spent the day catching up with our friends and celebrating Christmas.

Day 11:  Christmas in Carinthia

 

On Christmas morning, just after breakfast, our friends took us to spend the morning at Koralpe, a nearby ski field (check out the best places to ski in Austria here).  Here we spent a few hours sledding.  The remainder of the day was spent eating and chatting. 

Day 12: Carinthia to Munich

Just after lunch we said farewell to our Austrian friends and with our friend from Munich, we took the 12.45 pm train to Munich.  We arrived in Munich at 5.41 pm.

Read more about all the below attractions and our time in Munich in our Munich with Kids guide.

Day 13: Explore Munich

 

Here is a short overview of how we spent our first full our day exploring Munich:

• From our friend’s place it was a short train ride into the centre of Munich. First we went to Marienplatz and saw the Rathaus-Glockenspiel.

• Myla and our friend climbed the stairs of St Peters Church, to the viewing platform at the top.

• We then went to see the Toy Museum in the Old Town Hall.
  • Entry is 4 € adults, 1 € children and 8 € for a family pass.
  • We spent around 45 minutes here.

• A few minutes’ walk from Marionplatz is the Viktualienmarkt. Here there are loads of butchers and other stalls selling absolutely delicious local produce.

• From here we strolled through the city from around 20 minutes, stopping in for a peak at the famous Hofbrauhaus beer garden until we reached the Eisbachwelle. Here we stopped to what the surfers surf in the Englischer Garten’s Eisbach River.   We also stopped at the café at the gardens for some yummy German sausage.

• We then took a tram, just outside the gardens to the Deutsches Museum.
  • Entry fee: 14 € adults, 4.50 € child, family pass 29 € or <5 free.
  • We spent around 2-3 hours here.

 

Day 14: Trip to Zugspitze

 

Here is a short overview of our overnight trip to Garmisch Partenkirchen:

• We took a train from Munich to Garmisch Partenkirchen, which took around 90 minutes.

• Once at Garmisch Partenkirchen we took a cog wheel train up to Zugspitze, which is Germany’s highest peak.
  • Round trip: 46.50 € adult, 23.50 € child or family passes start at 62 € for 1 adult and 1 child – there are various combinations. See all pricing here.
  • We spent around 4-5 hours here having lunch, sledding, admiring the view, checking out the ice bar igloo.

• We spent the night in a private apartment in Garmisch Partenkirchen.

 

Day 15: Day Trip from Garmisch Partenkirchen

 

Our friend arranged for a driver to take us on a day trip from Garmisch Partenkirchen back to Munich.  Here is a short overview about our day trip from Garmisch Partenkirchen: 

• We spent the morning exploring the lovely town of Garmisch Partenkirchen, including a quick look at the famous Great Olympic Hill which is a ski jumping hill where various competitions are held.

• We then drove around 30 minutes to Linderhof Palace:
  • Entry 7.50 € – all children are free.
  • We spent around 1 hour here.

• We then drove around 45 minutes to Neuschwanstein Castle.
  • Unfortunately, we couldn’t get entry into the castle as they were sold out. Best to book well in advance for entry.  However, it is still well worth the visit to simply view the castle, it is absolutely stunning.
  • Entry fee: 13 € per adult – all children are free.
  • The castle is up on a high steep hill and no cars can go up. So you can either walk or take a horse and carriage.  The carriage is 7.50 € per person up or 3.50 € per person down.

• From Neuschwanstein Castle we took a bus into Fussen and then 2 trains to Munich. The entire trip took around 3 hours.

 

Day 16: Explore Munich

 

We left Myla with our friend on this day to go and visit the Dachau Memorial Site:

• It’s a short 10-minute train ride from the Munich Main Station to Dachau Station. From here there are buses right outside the station to take you the rest of the way to the Memorial Site.
• Entry is free, however it is recommend you either take a guided tour (3.50 € per person) or the audio tour (4 € per person).
• We spent around 4 hours at the memorial site.

Whilst we were at Dachau, our friend took Myla swimming at Therme Erding:

• Entry is 18 € for 2 hours, 24 € for 4 hours or 34 for the entire day. Add 4 € to each rate for weekends and public holidays.  Children up to 3 are free.
• Myla and our friend spent around 4 hours here.

Day 17: Leaving Munich 

Today we all said farewell to our friend from Munich and Myla and I also said good bye to Andy as he left Munich to catch his flight home to Australia.  Andy took the train from Munich at 12.28 pm arriving at Frankfurt airport at 4.06 pm.

Meanwhile Myla and I took the 12.28 pm train from Munich arriving in Lucerne at 5.49 pm – with a short stopover in Zurich.  If you’re staying in Zurich and looking for a hotel – click here.

It was a short 5-minute walk from the Lucerne station to the hotel which was Altstadt Hotel Le Stelle Luzern.

Read more about all the below attractions and our time in Lucerne in our Lucerne with Kids guide. 

Day 18: Day Trip To Mount Rigi

 

Here is a short overview about our day trip to Mount Rigi:

• We walked about 7 minutes to Pier 1 to take the ferry to Vitznau.
• From Vitznau we took the cogwheel train up to Mt Rigi Kulm – we spent around 45 minutes here.
• We then took the cogwheel train down to Mt Rigi Kaltbad – we spent around 2 hours here.
• We then took the cogwheel train back down to Vitznau and the ferry back to Lucerne.  There is also the option to take a cable car down instead.
• The entire trip took around 5-6 hours and was completely free as we had a Swiss Travel Pass.  Click here if you want to see the full range of Swiss Travel Pass options available.
• If you don’t have a Swiss Travel Pass – click here to purchase your cogwheel and cable car tickets.

 

TIP: If you’re traveling in Switzerland by train make sure you download the SBB App.  This APP was an absolute godsend for us, telling us the best train routes to take, which platform trains were leaving from and all in real time so you could see if a train was running late.

 

>> Click here to find out how much money we saved by having the Swiss Travel Pass <<

 

Day 19: Exploring Lucerne

Here is a short overview about our day exploring Lucerne:

• We walked about 5 minutes to the tourist office at the train station for a 2-hour guided tour of the city of Lucerne.
  • The tour included information about the history of Lucerne and information about the various buildings including the Chapel Bridge.
  • Tours cost 20 CHF per adult, 5 CHF per child and <6 free.

• We then took a bus from out front of the train station to the Swiss Museum of Transport (bus completely free when covering with a Swiss Travel Pass).
  • Entry fee is 32 CHF per adult, 12 per child and <6 free. Includes entry to Media World, but we ran out of time and didn’t get to go.
  • We spent around 4 hours here and in fact could have spent longer but it was closing. So go here first!
  • Whilst here we also did the Swiss Chocolate Adventure which is located at the same place. Entry fee is 16 CHF per adult and 7 CHF per child.  Click here to purchase tickets online.
  • We were advised that the Swiss Travel pass covered entry into the Swiss Museum of Transport – however they wouldn’t accept or pass for entry.  Click here to purchase tickets online.

Day 20: Lucerne to Wengen 

Here is a short overview about our day going from Lucerne to Wengen:

Read more about our time in Wengen in our Wengen with Kids guide

• We traveled from Lucerne to Wengen:
  • We walked the 5 minutes or so from our hotel to the train station.
  • We took the Golden Pass Route which is one of the Swiss Rail Scenic routes but still covered by the Swiss Travel Pass so didn’t cost us any extra. The journey is amazing!
  • We left Lucerne at 9.06 am and arrived at Interlaken Ost at 10.55 am.
  • We then took another train from Interlaken Ost at 10.55 am to Lauterbrunnen arriving at 11.05 am.
  • Then took a train at 11.37 from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen arriving at 11.49 am.
  • From here it was about a 10-minute walk to our hotel – Hotel Edelweiss.

• We spent the afternoon hanging out at our hotel, playing in the snow and exploring the little village in Wengen. We even hired our own sled so we could go sledding whenever we wanted.

 

Day 21: Day Trip to Jungfraujoch

Here is a short overview about our first full day in Wengen:

• We took the train to Jungfraujoch:
  • The Swiss Travel Pass doesn’t cover the train to Jungfraujoch so we purchased this online. However the pass gives you a 25% so it cost 91.50 CHF and Myla was free given she was traveling on a family card which is completely free with a adult Swiss Travel Card.
  • We took the train from Wengen to Kleine Scheidegg. All trains to Jungfraujoch depart from Kleine Scheidegg and leave every 30 mins.  It’s only 35 minutes from here to top of Jungfraujoch.
  • Given we traveled in winter, the outside activities at Jungraujoch were not open.
  • We spent around half a day at Jungraujoch including travel time.

• Kleine Scheidegg is a lovely little ski resort area so we stayed here for a while and had lunch and played in the snow.

• Back in Wengen we went into the village and spent the afternoon sledding.

 

Day 22: Day Trip to Schilthorn

 

Here is a short overview about our second day in Wengen: 

• We took a trip to Schilthorn:
  • We took a train from Wengen down to Lauterbrunnen.
  • From Lauterbrunnen we took a bus to the cable car at Stechelberg and rode it to the top. Click here for the cable car timetable.
  • At the top we checked out the Skyline View Platform and Bond World.
  • We then took the cable car down to Birg Station. Here we visited the Skyline Walk and played in the snow.
  • We spent around half a day at Schilthorn including travel time.
  • The entire day was completely free given we had a Swiss Travel Pass.

• Back in Wengen we went into the village and spent the afternoon sledding.

 

Day 23: Wengen to Montreux

Here is a short overview about our day going from Wengen to Montreux:

Read more about all the below attractions and our time in Montreux in our Montreux with Kids guide.

• On this day we travelled from Wengen to Montreux :
  • We took a train from Wengen to Lauterbrunnen, and then another train from Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken Ost.
  • From Interlaken Ost we took one of the Swiss scenic trains to Montreux. The train left Interlaken Ost at 9.08 am, arriving in Montreux at 12.13 pm. 
  • From Montreux train station we took a bus to our hotel – J5 Helvetie.

• We then visited the Queen Studio Experience:
  • We then walked around 5 minutes to the Montreux Casino where the Queen Studio Experience is located.
  • Entry is free and we spent around 45 minutes here.

• We then visited the Freddie Mercury Statue:
  • The Freddie Mercury Statue is around a 5 minute walk from the Casio.
  • We spent around 5 minutes here.

• We then strolled down the Promenade:
  • We had a little bit of time before out next planned activity, so strolled down the lovely promenade along Lake Geneva and stopped at various playgrounds.

• We took a cruise on Lake Geneva:
  • The 2-hour cruise departed from Montreux at 2.40 PM and did a circuit around the Lake, making various stops.
  • The cruise was completely free given we were travelling with a Swiss Travel Pass.
  • You can find information about the cruises here.
  • After the cruise we walked the 10 minutes back to our hotel.

 

Day 24: Explore Montreux

Here is a short overview about our first full day in Montreux:

• Visit Chillon Castle:
  • Right outside our hotel was the Montreux Casino bus stop which was handy for going anywhere around Montreux. All guests staying at hotels in Montreux get free bus transportation in the area.  Also if you have a Swiss Travel Pass you can of course travel on the public transportation for free also.
  • We took a bus from here to Veytaux. The 201 bus runs every 10 minutes.
  • Entry to the Chillon Castle is free when you have a Swiss Travel pass.
  • We spent around 2 hours here – this was hands down our favourite castle we visited whilst in Europe.

• We took the Territet Funicular to Glion:
  • We took a bus from outside the Chillon Castle to the Territet Funicular.
  • We rode the funicular to the very top to Glion – all included with our Swiss Travel pass.
  • From the top there are lovely views across Montreux and Lake Geneva.
  • We then rode the funicular down to the midpoint station of Collonge.
  • This whole trip took around 1 hour in total.

• Walk from Collonge to Old Town Montreux:
  • From Collonge we walked along Rue du Temple which also had lovely view of Lake Geneva and Montreux.
  • This walk took us past St Vincent Church and into the lovely the old town of Montreux.
  • We walked all the way to the main Montreux train station.
  • This entire walk took around minutes.

• Visit the UNESCO listed Lavaux Vineyards:
  • From the train station we took a train to Lutry station and walked around 3 minutes to Terres de Lavaux.
  • At Terres de Lavaux I tried some of their beautiful wines. Wine tasting is 9 CHF for 3 wines or 12 CHF for 5 wines.
  • We spent around 45 minutes at Terres de Lavaux.
  • We then took the train back to Montreux and from here a bus back to our hotel.

 

Day 25: Day Trip to La Gruyere Region

Here is a short overview about our day trip to the La Gruyere Region:

• Travel to La Gruyere:
  • At 8.44 am we took another gorgeous Swiss Scenic Train from Montreux to Montbovon, arriving at 9.27 am.
  • At 9.40 am, from Montbovon we took a train to Gruyeres, arriving at 10 am.

• La Maison du Gruyere:
  • Right across the road from the Gruyeres train station is the La Maison du Gruyere – the cheese factory.
  • We did the cheese factory tour, which went for around 45 minutes.
  • Entry to the cheese factory is completely free if you’re traveling with a Swiss Travel Pass.

• Castle of Gruyeres:
  • We went back to the train station to catch a bus from here to the top of the hill where the town of Gruyeres is located.
  • From here we walked through the lovely little village to the end where the Castle of Gruyeres is located.
  • We spent around 1 hour at the castle and entry was completely free as we had a Swiss Travel Pass.

• HR Giger Museum and Bar:
  • In the town of Gruyeres is the HR Giger Museum. This was closed whilst we were there, however right by there is the HR Giger Bar which was opened and is still super interesting to look at.
  • Entry to the museum is covered by the Swiss Travel Pass.

• Maison Cailler:
  • From the town of Gruyeres we took us bus back down to the train station and at 2 pm we took a train to Bulle, arriving at 2.08 pm.
  • We then took a train at 2.17 pm to Broc-Fabrique arriving at 2.28 pm.
  • From here it was a short 5-10-minute walk to Maison Cailler.
  • Entry to Maison Callier is covered by the Swiss Travel Pass.
  • We spent around 1 hour here.

• Travel back to Montreux:
  • At 4.32 pm we took a train from Broc-Fabrique to Palezieux, arriving at 5.26 pm.
  • At 5.29 pm we took a train from Palezieux to Lausanne, arriving at 5.48 pm.
  • At 5.48 pm we took a train from Lausanne to Montreux, arriving at 6.17 pm.
  • From Montreux station we took a bus back to our hotel.

 

Day 26: Explore Montreux

 

Here is a short overview about our last full day in Montreux:

• Visit the Alimentarium:
  • We took the bus from outside our hotel to Vevey – Beau Sejour stop. From here it was a 5-minute walk to Alimentarium.
  • Entry to Alimentarium is completely free when traveling with the Swiss Travel Pass.
  • We spent around 2 hours at the Alimentarium.

• Visit The Big Fork:
  • Just outside the Alimentarium is the Big Fork.
  • We spent about 5 minutes here.

• Charlie Chaplin Statue:
  • Right by the Big Fork, is the Charlie Chaplin Statue.
  • We spent around 5 minutes here.
  • You can also visit Charlie Chaplin World – but this was closed when we were there.  Click here to purchase online tickets.

• Swiss Camera Museum:
  • We then walked around 5 minutes along the promenade to the Swiss Camera Museum.
  • Entry to the Swiss Camera Museum is completely free when traveling with the Swiss Travel Pass.
  • We spent around 30 minutes here.

• Laderach (Chocolate Shop):
  • We then walked around 2 minutes to the Laderach chocolate shop.
  • We spent around 15 minutes here.

• Swiss Museum of Games:
  • We then took a bus from Vevey- Ronjat station to La Tour de Peilz station, and then walked about 5 minutes to the Swiss Museum of Games.
  • Entry to the Swiss Museum of Games is completely free when traveling with the Swiss Travel Pass.
  • We spent around 30 minutes here.
  • We then took the bus back to our hotel.

 

Day 27:  Montreux to Paris Disneyland 

Here is a short overview about our day going from Montreux to Paris Disneyland: 

• We traveled from Montreux to Disneyland:
  • We took a train from Montreux to Lausanne and then at 12.23 pm took a train to Paris Gare de Lyon, arriving at 4.03 pm.
  • The train from Lausanne to Paris was covered by the Eurail Pass, however we were required to make a reservation in advance.
  • From Paris Gare de Lyon we took a RER A train to Gare de Marne la Vallee Chessy, which took around 35 minutes. Our Eurail Pass did not cover this train so we purchased tickets at the station in Paris.
  • Once arriving at Disneyland Station – we went to the bus area and looked for a shuttle which had our hotel name on the front – Hotel Santa Fe. Despite there being buses everywhere – this was relatively easy.

• We then walked into the Disneyland Village:
  • After checking into our room, we walked along the lake to the Disneyland Village which took around 10 minutes.
  • We had dinner in the village, looked around the stores and spotted Disney characters.

 

Day 28:   Paris Disneyland

On this day we spent the entire day enjoying everything that Disneyland had to offer.  We had 2 day park hopper passes which allowed us to move between Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios as we pleased.

Ticket prices vary depending upon the time of year you’re going and any deals available.  We bought ours from Klook – click here to see what’s available.

Day 29:   Paris Disneyland

Unfortunately, during the night before Myla became very ill and so all we could manage to do today was go to the Princess Lunch at Disneyland.

We checked out of our hotel in the morning and left our luggage in storage at the train station.  After the Princess Lunch, Myla was still very unwell so we got our luggage and took an Uber to our Airbnb (an apartment at (170 Rue du Temple) in Paris.  This cost 60 €.

Day 30:   Paris 

Unfortunately on this day, it was my turn to be sick, so we didn’t leave our apartment the entire day.

Day 31:  Explore Paris 

Read more about all the below attractions and our time in Paris in our Paris with Kids guide.

Here is a short overview about our first full day exploring Paris:

• Watch Paris Story:
  • We took the metro from Temple station to Opera station and then walked 4 mins to Paris Story.
  • We watched the film Paris Story – which was included in the Turbo Pass we had. The Turbo Pass also include public transportation too.
  • If you don’t have a Turbo Pass – click here to buy tickets online.

• Visit Sacré Cœur:
  • We took the metro from Saint Lazare to Abbesses and then walked about 5 minutes to the Funiculaire to Sacre Coeur.
  • We spent around 30 minutes looking around Sacre Coeur.

• Visit Arc de Triomphe:
  • We walked a few minutes to the Anvers Metro and took a train to Charles de Gaulle – Etoile. From you’ll easily see the Arc de Triomphe.
  • Entry to the Arc de Triomphe was included in the Turbo Pass.
  • We spent around 45 minutes here.
  • If you don’t have a Turbo Pass – click here to buy tickets online.

• View the Eiffel Tower at Trocadero Place:
  • We then took the train from Charles de Gaulle – Etoile to Trocadero and walked to Trocadero Place for great views of the Eiffel Tower.
  • We spent around 10 minutes here.
  • We also walked across the Pont D’lena – just in front of Trocadero Place for more fantastic views.

• Ride the Eiffel Tower Carousel:
  • Just on the other side of the Pont D’Lena is a carousel which Myla had a ride on.

• Visit the Eiffel Tower:
  • We then walked into the grounds of the Eiffel Tower and went to line up for our pre-booked tickets to go to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower.
  • Unfortunately, the very top floor was closed the day we visited.
  • Tickets cost us around $52 AUD for both of us.  I recommend you book direct with the official site, so much cheaper than anywhere else.
  • We spent around 45 minutes in total at the Eiffel Tower.

• Visit the Latin Quarter:
  • We then walked around 5 minutes to catch the RER C train from Champ de Mars to Saint Michel – Notre Dame in the Latin Quarter.
  • We were meeting a friend here, but prior to this we had some time to admire the gorgeous lights of Notre Dame at night as well as have drinks in the Latin Quarter.

Click here for more tips on visiting Paris in Winter.

 

Day 32:   Explore Paris

 

Here is a short overview about our second day exploring Paris: 

• Visit Notre Dame:
  • We took a train from Temple station to Reaumur – Sebastopol station and then took another train to Saint Michel – Notre Dame Station.
  • We walked about 5 minutes to Notre Dame and went inside to look.
  • Entry is free and we spent about 20 minutes here.

• Visit the Crypte:
  • Just outside Notre Dame is entry to the Crypte, which is located underneath Notre Dame.
  • Entry to the Crypte is included in the Turbo Pass.

• Walk through the Latin Quarter:
  • We then walked through the Latin Quarter, which is located just over the bridge from Notre Dame.
  • The Latin Quarter has lots of quaint little alley ways, full of tourist shops and great little places to eat.
  • We made our back to Saint Michel – Notre Dame Station to catch the RER C train.

• Seine River Cruise:
  • We got off at Champ de Mars station and walked about 10 minutes to Port de la Bourdonnais where the cruises leave just in front of the Eiffel Tower.
  • The River Cruise was included with the Turbo Pass.
  • The cruises go for 1 hour and include an audio guide.
  • If you don’t have the Turbo Pass – click here to purchase tickets online.

• The Louvre:
  • After the cruise, we walked about 10 minutes across the Pont d’Lena to catch the bus to the Louvre. Unfortunately the bus was very late and then broke down soon after we boarded and were on our way.
  • We then walked the rest of the way to the Louvre – and what was supposed to be a quick ride to the Louvre took over an hour and by the time we arrived the Louvre had closed.
  • Note the Louvre closes at 4 pm, not 5 pm!) So we simply took some pictures out the front.
  • If you do make it to the Louvre – entry is included with the Turbo Pass.  If you don’t have the Turbo Pass – click here to purchase tickets online.
  • We then took a train from Palais Royal Musee du Louvre to Chatelet and from here another train to the Republic before taking the short walk to our hotel.

• See the Moulin Rouge:
  • We took the train from Temple Station to Villiers Station, here got another train to Blanche, which is right in front of the Moulin Rouge.
  • We wondered around the tourist stores around the area, had dinner and saw the Moulin Rouge Show.
  • To come home we took the train from Blanche to Villiers, and then got another train to Temple Station.
  • Tickets for the Moulin Rouge are super expensive and vary depending on what time of show you see, meals etc.  We bought our tickets from Klook – click here to see the range of tickets available.

 

Day 33:    Travel Paris to Beijing

Here is a short overview about how we travelled from Paris to Frankfurt for our flight home to Brisbane:

• We took the train from Republic to Paris Est.
• At 10.55 am we took the ICE train from Paris Est to Karlsruhe HBF, arriving at 1.25 pm.
• At 2 pm from Karlsruhe we took another train to Mannheim HBF, arriving at 2.23 PM.
• At 2.36 PM from Mannheim we took another train to Frankfrut Flughafen Fernbf (airport), arriving at 3.06 PM.
• The train from Paris Est to Frankfurt was covered by the Eurail Pass, however we were required to make a reservation in advance.
• Our flight for Brisbane left at 7.15 PM

 

Day 34:     Transit in Beijing

We arrived in Beijing 11.45 am and got a 72-hour China visa free transit so we could leave the airport.

We went into Beijing for a few hours, but in hindsight, I would have just taken advantage of the free hotel provided by Air China and rested.  We were so tired, it was not worth our while going into town.  If you do however have a few days in Beijing – you can check out this 3 days in Beijing guide.

Day 35:   Fly Beijing to Brisbane

Our flight left Beijing at 2.30 am and we arrived home in Brisbane at 3.10 PM

Our trip in Europe wouldn’t be possible without our sponsors.  So I’d like to thank Eurail, Swiss Travel Pass, Visit Berlin,  DDR Museum, German Spy Museum, Prague Tourism, Vienna Tourism, Munich Tourism, Lucerne Tourism, Montreux Tourism, La Gruyere Tourism, Paris Story, Disneyland and Turbo Pass for their support.  As always, all opinions expressed in this blog are my own and have not been influenced in anyway.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means that should make any bookings using my links, I may be paid a small commission at no extra cost to you.  This allows me to provide this information free of charge – thank you for supporting our website.

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