Eurotrip - England-France-Switzerland-Germany-Czech-Holland

Hi guys/girls.

I'm from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (the country not affected by swine flu yet). Going off for a eurotrip. Lots of people already gave me a feedback that the plan was a bad one that is. And i have to say that i don't really mind being tired from travelling as i don't know when am i going to afford going to europe again (next time just might be one or two country and thats it). Anyway, my friends call it as a Brokeback Trip (as its going to break your back for sure with the extensive travelling, hahah). Here is roughly of how the itinerary goes.

9 May 2009
Arrive Stansted
Check in hotel, freshen up
Sightseeing around London
Shop at Oxford street & flea markets

10 May 2009 - 11 May 2009
Arrive Paris via Eurostar
Check in hotel, freshen up
Sightseeing around Paris
Shop

12 May 2009
Paris - Dujon (shop at factory outlet) - zurich - lucerne

13 May 2009
Going up Mt. Titlis
Goin up to Munich

14 May 2009 - 15 May 2009
Arrive in Prague
Sightseeing around Prague
Shop

16 May 2009
Arrive in Berlin
Sightseeing around Berlin

17 May 2009 - 18 May 2009
Fly from Berlin to Amsterdam
Sightseeing around Amsterdam

19 May 2009
Cruise from Amsterdam to Newcastle
Relax in Newcastle

20 May 2009
Drive up to Edinburgh

21 May 2009
Drive to Glasgow & Loch Ness

22 May 2009
Back to Newcastle

23 May 2009
Train to Stansted
Back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I guess i will get lots of feedback of asking me to minimised the country we are going. But as i said again, Malaysia to Europe, is like few thousands kilometres away and its unlikely that i will be able to afford to go there again. Maybe after 10 years. (I had been saving up for this trip since i was in my Junior year in university, so that makes it almost 6 years). I just want to go and experience the air of different countries.

Anyway back to the point. At all those places, can anyone recomend where should i go. And where i can buy souveniers (key chain, fridge magnets, t-shirts) for an affordable price. Thanks. Hope to hear some feedback soon.

You might want to consider skipping the ferry to Newcastle which takes 15 hours and costs £181 single and take an Easyjet flight to Edinburgh which costs £87 and only takes 1½ hours.

There's nothing much worth looking at in Newcastle anyway.

Don't forget you'll need two Visas. One for the UK and the other called a Schengen Visa which will allow you to travel in 23 of the 25 EU member states on a single Visa. The UK is also an EU member state, but they opted out of the Treaty of Amsterdam which allows travel between countries without border controls.

Most souvenir shops will have what you want in the way of badges, key rings and the like.

Quoting akmalwahab

I guess i will get lots of feedback of asking me to minimised the country we are going. But as i said again, Malaysia to Europe, is like few thousands kilometres away and its unlikely that i will be able to afford to go there again. Maybe after 10 years. (I had been saving up for this trip since i was in my Junior year in university, so that makes it almost 6 years). I just want to go and experience the air of different countries.

I'm sorry but I'm going to be one of those critics I'm from Australia, even further away, and I think this is exactly the reason why you should not do what you're doing! I don't like the idea of travelling half way around the world and using your savings spend most of your time in transit/checking in hotels/sleeping! It's not only the tiredness factor, its just that once you account for everything you will barely have any time to explore the places you came to see.

If you can spare the time, for about 1000 Euros more, you could probably extend this holiday by 2 weeks and enjoy it much more thoroughly.

Anyway, if you have travelled at this pace before, and you think it's the best way, then so be it.
If you haven't travelled overseas at this pace I'd strongly advise you slow the pace down

Don't forget you'll need two Visas. One for the UK and the other called a Schengen Visa

Malaysian citizens do not need a Schengen visa, don't know about the UK.

Quoting t_maia

Malaysian citizens do not need a Schengen visa, don't know about the UK.

That's a surprise, but yes, you're correct.

You do need to satisfy other criteria though akmalwahab, details here: Notice to Malaysian applicants

I thought travel agents are the only crazy ones who will draw up such a schedule, apparently there are people who do it too! I very much agree with Erik's comments. Going on such a whirlwind trip, you won't be able to soak in the culture or even get a grasp of anything local. You'll also probably be exhausted by the middle of your trip and can't enjoy your trip properly.

Souvenir shops are everywhere in the cities you're going, in some places like Paris you have touts trying to shove them up your nose even, so no worries there. You can find them even if you're blind.

I also agree with Blinq that there isn't much in Newcastle, was just there last month. Especially after you've seen the big cities. Many of the cities you're visiting deserve more than a day. I mean, Munich in half a day with Mt Titlis in the morning?!

You also seem to have shopping as a major part of your itinery. I would suggest moving your London shopping to the end so that you won't have to lug your purchases around. What sort of stuff are you looking to buy?

Hi there
SorrY I don't have the information that you're looking for. But I would really appreciate it if you could share your experiences when you come back. I will be doing almost the same route except that I will be flying in to Frankfurt and flying out from Stansted to KL. I might give France a miss but might be covering Hungary and Croatia too. Would appreciate if you could share your itinerary, mode of transport from place to place and names of places that you'd be staying at. Like you, this is very much my dream holiday and have not been able to afford to do it in terms of money and time until now except that I'm much much older than you. Have you purchased your rail ticket from here or are you purchasing it only when you are there. Thank you and wishing you a safe journey and a blast of a holiday!!!

Saw Sim

I know that you've specifically asked for no feedback on the amount that you're trying to cram in, but I really think you should look again at this bit:

12 May 2009
Paris - Dujon (shop at factory outlet) - zurich - lucerne

13 May 2009
Going up Mt. Titlis
Goin up to Munich

14 May 2009 - 15 May 2009
Arrive in Prague
Sightseeing around Prague
Shop

16 May 2009
Arrive in Berlin
Sightseeing around Berlin

I don't think it's practically possible to do this. You need to cut out one day. Though this would make it rather faster than I would go for, it would make it theoretically do-able. I would suggest either Munich-Berlin direct, or skip Berlin and fly direct to Amsterdam from Prague.

T-shirts, keyrings etc aplenty in all of the cities you're going to - you won't need to worry about souvenir hunting. And tourist tack is never particularly expensive. But given your itinerary you could just sit on a train going round KL for fortnight and I'll mail you loads of souvenirs from Europe, for half the cost of your holiday - you'll get a similar experience and save some cash!

But given your itinerary you could just sit on a train going round KL for fortnight and I'll mail you loads of souvenirs from Europe, for half the cost of your holiday - you'll get a similar experience and save some cash!

Best advice ever!

I mean, theoretically the train takes 4 hours to get from Prague to Berlin. But the train is often late. Realistically and taking transport from and to your hotel into account you'll spending 7 hours travelling from Prague to Berlin. And that is one of the shorter train trips you are taking!

Lucerne to Munich is 6 hours, Munich to Prague also 6 hours if the train is on schedule (but 8 hours is more realistic with Czech trains).

My suggestion would be to skip Prague, instead take the night train from Munich to Berlin.

[ Edit: Edited on 05-May-2009, at 10:39 by t_maia ]

You've the makings of a lovely trip. You will always save money doing more of Eastern Europe and less of the Western side.
The trip to Newcastle sounds good. I know it very well. Wonderful city and a great night out, as anyone who has ever been there will tell you. Just out of the centre in a place called South Shields, is a pub that has every Scotch whisky for sale. Just 100's of them. More than any pub in Scotland sells.
Glasgow to Loch Ness is quite a drive. It doesn't look very far, but the roads up in that part of Scotland aren't the quickest routes.
Newcastle to Edinburgh is an easy and quick drive - and the N.E. coastal road is beautiful. You'll love Edinburgh too - full of history and masses of different cultures. All the bridges (including the Forth and Skye) and tunnels are now toll free - unlike in England, where they are still charged.
Most things you've spoken of have already been covered here otherwise, except did you know that if you're taking the train back to Stansted from Newcastle - you can get advance fares at much reduced prices and sometimes splitting a journey with two different UK rail companies can work out even cheaper still.
Have a great time.