[1 USD = 0.377 BHD (Bahraini Dinar)]
Picking up from the itinerary of different conducted tour to get idea of the tour plans.
Some of the starting points:
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It is coming out that April will still be cold in north so Good Friday and Easter holiday may not be correct time to travel. Though Summer – June, July is most appropriate time but they say it will be too crowded and costlier during that time. However May is recommended period.
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Idea of starting from low cost entry point like Madrid would not work because if we want to include Spain then we may have to miss some other places. Best is to exclude Spain as that can be combined with another tour around Mediterranean.
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Starting point can be any of the appended Cities however suggested one is Paris/ Amsterdam/ Brussels as Holland celebrate Queen’s Day on 30 April and it seems to be good thing to see. So if we reach Paris on 27 or 28 then we can reach Amsterdam on 29.
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On the forums, what I got the feeling that instead of hotels, trying B&B (Bed and Breakfast rooms/ Apartments provided by house owners) could be cheaper and better bet. Hostels are another option but that may not be fine with Kids. Though on further checks B&B are also coming to nearly three star hotels.
Appended are tours provided by some tour operators. I have selected my pick and this is what comes out:
Amsterdam (2 days)
Brussels (1 day)
Luxemburg (0 day)
Frankfurt (2 days)
Munich (1 day)
Innsbruck (1 day)
Venice (1 day)
Florence (2 days)
Rome (2 days)
Lucerne (2 days)
Paris (2 days)
Or Start from Paris – Brussels – Amsterdam – Cologne – Frankfurt – Munich – Salzburg – Zurich – Lucerne – Milan – Venice – Florence – Rome
Travel time indicatives:
Amsterdam
Arnhem (1 hr from Amsterdam)
Cologne (3 hrs from Amsterdam or 2 hrs from Arnhem)
Rhine Valley
Bonn (12 hr from Cologne)
Bacharach on the Rhine, Cruise Rhine
(between Koblenz and Mainz) (2 hours from Cologne) (Frankfurt is around 2 hours from here)
St Goar
Rhine Land
Dachau
Heidelberg ( 2 hrs from Bacharach or 1 hr from Frankfurt)
Rothenburg
Triberg
Black Forest
Schaffhausen - Rhine Falls
Munich/ Andechs (3 hrs from Heidelberg or 3 hrs from Frankfurt)
Austria Tiol
Neuschwanstein Castle
Reutte (3 hrs from Munich) / Salzburg (2 hrs from Munich)/ Innsbruck ((2.5 hrs from Munich)
Venice (6 to 10 hrs from Innsbruck or 8 to 11 hours from Munich or 7 to 9 hours from Salzburg)
Florence (3 to 4 hrs from Venice) and Pisa
Vatican City
Rome (2 hours from Florence)
Tuscany
Lucerne (9 to 14 hrs from Florence – Not convenient or 1 hr from Zurich)
Zurich (9 to 14 hrs from Florence – 1 direct overnight train available)
Dijon (6 hrs from Lucerne) / Beaune (France – Burgundy) (7 to 13 hrs from Lucerne)
Paris (7 to 10 hrs from Lucerne or 3 to 4 hrs from Beaune)
Additional Brussels (3 hrs from Amsterdam then 3 hrs to Cologne or 2 hrs from Paris)
Additional Luxembourg (3 hours from Brussels and then 4 to 5 hours to Frankfurt)
Or Paris – Brussels – Amsterdam – Cologne – Frankfurt – Munich – Salzburg – Zurich – Lucerne – Milan – Venice – Florence – Rome
2 persons (level 2 estimates)
Air ticket to Amsterdam/ Paris – BHD 250*2 = BHD 500
Eurorail pass (Eurail 1st Class Adult 15 Consecutive Days Companion/Saver Pass) – USD 512*2 = USD 1024 = BHD 400
Hotels – Average EUR 100*14 = EUR 1400 = BHD 700
Musuem passes etc 10*20*2 = EUR 400 = BHD 200
Others – BHD 500
Total = BHD 2300 for two (hotels)
May come down to BHD 2000 if managed by B&Bs
Acco:
Paris:
http://www.hotel-paris-orient.com/English/Rates.htm
EUR 108
Amsterdam
http://www.nl-hotel.com/rates.htm
EUR 125
http://www.hemp-hotel.com/
EUR 70
http://www.phildutch.net/rates.php
House boat EUR 50 pp
Munich
http://www.hotelbiederstein.de/html/rooms__prices.html
EUR 100
Rome
http://www.rosettahotel.com/
EUR 85
B&B - http://www.daphne-rome.com/script/rates.php
130
Venice
http://www.turismovenezia.it/eng/dynalay.asp?PAGINA=445&ID=12616
EUR 100
Suburb - B&B - http://www.faronhof.com/en/rooms.htm
EUR 50
Florence
http://www.hotelbellettini.com/
EUR 140
Near Frunkfurt
http://www.loreleytal.com/bacharach/im-malerwinkel/e/index.htm
EUR 57
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Merger of all tours to give idea which is more famous:
c1,2 – London
t2, 3 - London
s1,2 - Amsterdam (2)
i1 - Amsterdam
t4 – Amsterdam
h2,3 - Amsterdam (2)
c3 - Amsterdam (D)
s3 – Arnhem (0)
t5 – Arnhem
t5- Cologne
i2 – Cologne
h4 – Cologne
c4 – Rhine Valley (B,D)
t5- Bonn
t5 - Rhine Cruise
i2 – Rhine Cruise
s3, 4 - Bacharach on the Rhine, Cruise Rhine (2)
t5- St Goar
i2 – Rhine Land
s5 – Rothenburg (1)
s6 - Dachau (0)
i3 – Heidelberg
t5 - Heidelberg
t6 – Heidelberg
h4 - Heidelberg
h5 – Heidelberg,
h5 - Triberg,
i3 – Black Forest
t6 – Black Forest
i3 – Rhine Falls
t6 – Rhine Falls (Schaffhausen)
h5 - Schaffhausen - Rhine Falls
c5 – Munich (B)
s6 – Munich/ Andechs – Lunch
s6,7 – Austria Tirol, Neuschwanstein Castle, Reutte (2)
c6 – Austria Tirol (B,D)
c*6 – Innsbruck
i5 – Innsbruck
i6 – Venice
c 7 – Venice (B)
s8, 9 – Venice (2)
i7 – Assisi
i8 – Cassino
i8 – Naples
s10,11 – Florence (2)
c10 – Florence (2)
i11 – Florence, Tuscany, Pisa
s12, 13 – Vatican City, Rome (2)
i9,10 – Rome
c8, 9 – Rome (2)
s14, 15 – Cinque Terre (2)
s16, 17 – Swiss Alps Lauterbrunnen Valley (2)
c11 - Lucerne
i3, 4 – Lucerne
t6, 7 – Lucerne
h5 - Lucerne
h6 – Lucerne
h7 – Dijon
i5 – Vachuz
s18 – France – Burgundy, Beaune (1)
s19, 20 – Paris (2)
t8 – Beaunne
h7 - Paris
h8.9 Paris
t8 - Paris
i22, 23 – Paris
t9 – Paris
c12, 13, 14 – Paris
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Individual Tour operators itinerary
Steve (21 days)
1,2 - Amsterdam (2)
3 – Arnhem (0)
3, 4 - Bacharach on the Rhine, Cruise Rhine (2)
5 – Rothenburg (1)
6 - Dachau (0)
6 – Munich/ Andechs – Lunch
6,7 – Austria Tirol, Neuschwanstein Castle, Reutte (2)
8, 9 – Venice (2)
10,11 – Florence (2)
12, 13 – Vatican City, Rome (2)
14, 15 – Cinque Terre (2)
16, 17 – Swiss Alps Lauterbrunnen Valley (2)
18 – France – Burgundy, Beaune (1)
19, 20 – Paris (2)
Steve (14 days)
1,2 – Paris (2)
3 - France – Burgundy, Beaune (1)
4, 5 - Swiss Alps Lauterbrunnen Valley (2)
6, 7 - Austria Tirol, Neuschwanstein Castle, Reutte (2)
8, 9 – Venice (2)
10,11 – Florence (2)
12, 13 – Vatican City, Rome (2)
Contiki (14 days – 2 days in London)
1,2 – London
3 - Amsterdam (D)
4 – Rhine Valley (B,D)
5 – Munich (B)
6 – Austria Tirol (B,D)
*6 – Innsbruck
7 – Venice (B)
8, 9 – Rome (2)
10 – Florence (2)
11 - Lucerne
12, 13, 14 – Paris
Cha Tours (10 days)
2,3 - Amsterdam (2)
4 – Cologne
4 - Heidelberg
5 – Heidelberg, Triberg, Schaffhausen - Rhine Falls, Lucerne
6 – Lucerne
7 – Dijon, Paris
8.9 Paris
Insight (25 days)
1 - Amsterdam
2 – Cologne
2 – Rhine Cruise
2 – Rhine Land
3 – Heidelberg
3 – Black Forest
3 – Rhine Falls
3, 4 – Lucerne
5 – Vachuz
5 – Innsbruck
6 – Venice
7 – Assisi
8 – Cassino
8 – Naples
9,10 – Rome
11 – Florence, Tuscany, Pisa
12, 13 – French Riviera
14 – Camargue
14, 15 – Barcelona
16 – Jalon Valley
17, 18 – Madrid
19 – Lourdes
20 – Bordeaux
21 – Loine Valley
22, 23 – Paris
Traflgar (10 Days)
2, 3 - London
4 – Amsterdam
5, – Arnhem, Cologne, Bonn, Rhine Cruise, St Goar, Heidelberg
6 – Heidelberg
6 – Black Forest
6 – Rhine Falls (Schaffhausen)
6, 7 – Lucerne
8 – Beaunne, Paris
9 – Paris
