Mumsy and Guvna take on Europe: A 2016 Europe Trip Report! updated 5/29/2017

[GAN]

Speaking of train travel, do you know about the Man in Seat 61?

http://www.seat61.com

It sounded like you were still trying to work out those details -lots of information.

 

[annegirl]

Your time in Paris sounds like it's going to be lovely!

Your hotel in Switzerland looks awesome.

I am so excited! It's getting close too. Only a few more months!

Speaking of train travel, do you know about the Man in Seat 61?

http://www.seat61.com

It sounded like you were still trying to work out those details -lots of information.

I have used that website. I really need to look at it again. LAst time I looked I wasn't set on the itinerary and then I forgot about that website. Thanks for reminding me!

 

[annegirl]

After our time in Zermatt we will be hopping back on another train and making our way to Germany. We will get off the train in Freiburg where we will be picking up our last rental car.
We will spend a couple of hours checking out the town and then heading into the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) to our hotel for the night.

Freiburg:

Our hotel:

I am looking at only a couple of months now! I am going crazy at how fast it is getting here!​

 

[annegirl]

Well, I do have a train ticket from Paris to Geneva now! They were a really decent price and look like a decent train route. I didn't get the rest of the way as the man in seat 61 website talked about getting those ones on a special Swiss website (where the dates aren't available yet) or in person on the day of travel. Hard to leave things up to fate when you are a planner like me but I am glad to have at least the first leg booked!
​

 

[missangelalexis]

Germany will be so fun! The pictures look beautiful, as does your hotel

 

[GAN]

Well, I do have a train ticket from Paris to Geneva now! They were a really decent price and look like a decent train route. I didn't get the rest of the way as the man in seat 61 website talked about getting those ones on a special Swiss website (where the dates aren't available yet) or in person on the day of travel. Hard to leave things up to fate when you are a planner like me but I am glad to have at least the first leg booked!
​

Great. It should be a nice easy ride. I've done the route from Paris-Dijon-Beaune(Burgundy), I'm thinking you might go through Dijon then continue to Geneva from there possibly. European train travel is what it should be in the US! So excited for you....

 

[annegirl]

Germany will be so fun! The pictures look beautiful, as does your hotel

Yes! I am so excited for it.

Great. It should be a nice easy ride. I've done the route from Paris-Dijon-Beaune(Burgundy), I'm thinking you might go through Dijon then continue to Geneva from there possibly. European train travel is what it should be in the US! So excited for you....

Yes. I am excited to see what it will be like to do some real train traveling.

 

[annegirl]

After leaving our hotel in the black forest we will be exploring a little bit in Triberg and a few other places on our way to our next hotel.
We will be staying the next night in Garmisch Partenkirchen. My dad was military so we were able to get a really great room in a really nice lodge for military members for a really great price.
We will be staying here for a couple of nights.

The next day we will be visiting Neuschwanstein castle (the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle)
I already have our tickets for the morning.

We are really excited to see this place! It has been on both of our bucket lists for a long time!
We will spend the morning touring the castle and then the nearby sites.

Then we will be making a drive to a more somber location.
We will be visiting the Dachau concentration camp.

This one is going to be really hard. I can't say I am looking forward to it as I know we will be so sad and emotional there but we both felt it would be important to visit.
After this we know we won't be in the mood for more touring so we will be driving back to our lodge and enjoying the nice serene views for the rest of our last evening.

The next morning we will be heading into Munich for a few hours if we have time. We would only be able to see a little bit if we do so we will decide on that when we are there.
Then we will be dropping off our rental car at the airport and catching our flight home!
We will be flying back into Iceland but have less than an hour layover this time.
Then we will be flying into Denver. Then a few hours layover before our flight to Salt Lake City.
I am sure by this time we will be exhausted and so ready to be home!

I will be so happy to be back with my kids and Doug since that is the hardest thing about going away.
I know I am going to miss them like crazy but I also know this is a trip of a lifetime with my mom.
We are less than a month away from leaving now so I am SO excited!
I can't believe it is almost here. ​

 

[missangelalexis]

Wow those are some gorgeous pictures. Beautiful places to see!

I am sure visiting the concentration camp will be very sad. But important to see for sure.

The end of the trip is always a bummer, but you guys will be doing so much that I'm sure it will be nice to get back home and to your family!

Can't believe you are a month away, so exciting!

 

[annegirl]

Wow those are some gorgeous pictures. Beautiful places to see!

I am sure visiting the concentration camp will be very sad. But important to see for sure.

The end of the trip is always a bummer, but you guys will be doing so much that I'm sure it will be nice to get back home and to your family!

Can't believe you are a month away, so exciting!

Yes, it will be really nice to be home and with my family again at the end. And sometimes when I feel bad about going away for so long I remind myself that I will appreciate them so much more after this!
Now I am at a week. Can't believe it!

 

[GAN]

Now I am at a week. Can't believe it!

That's great! You've done such a good job, pretty sure we all wish we were going with you....

 

[missangelalexis]

One more week, how crazy that it's here already! How exciting!

 

[TLSnell1981]

It is exciting! You have a very full itinerary....truly amazing destinations. Can't wait to read your post trip report!

 

[missangelalexis]

Have an amazing time on your trip of a lifetime!! Can't wait to hear about it

 

[annegirl]

It is exciting! You have a very full itinerary....truly amazing destinations. Can't wait to read your post trip report!

Thanks! I can't wait to post it!

Have an amazing time on your trip of a lifetime!! Can't wait to hear about it

Thank you!

 

[annegirl]

Well, I am back!!!!
I still need to get some photos back from Walmart (from a water camera) and upload all the thousands (yes you read that right) photos from my camera and phone to the computer but hopefully I will be able to start updating about the actual trip in the next week or so!
It was an amazing adventure.
There were some incredible unforgettable moments that I can't wait to share.
There were some stressful moments too but even those were funny afterward for the most part.
There was only one real scary experience and I will make sure to tell you all about that as well.
​

 

[missangelalexis]

Welcome home! So glad to hear the trip was amazing!!

 

[GAN]

Well, I am back!!!!
I still need to get some photos back from Walmart (from a water camera) and upload all the thousands (yes you read that right) photos from my camera and phone to the computer but hopefully I will be able to start updating about the actual trip in the next week or so!
It was an amazing adventure.
There were some incredible unforgettable moments that I can't wait to share.
There were some stressful moments too but even those were funny afterward for the most part.
There was only one real scary experience and I will make sure to tell you all about that as well.
​

Talk about a cliffhanger !!!

 

[annegirl]

Welcome home! So glad to hear the trip was amazing!!

Thanks!

Talk about a cliffhanger !!!

Haha. I am still waiting on those darn pictures. If I don't get them soon I may have to start the trip and go back to the Iceland day!

 

[mariezp]

I have gotten kinda sidetracked and missed getting to hang out for the end of the big build up for your trip. Finally made it back and now you are already home! Can't wait for your pictures to get back and hear all about the amazing trip you had! You can bet I will be taking notes.



P.S.
I gave up on my European trip report after Photobucket made changes and zapped all the picture links I had already worked so hard to load.
Oh well.
As for good news... on Mother's day I got the green light to go ahead and start making plans for our second European family adventure!!! I am beyond excited. We will be mainly in Germany but also planning to visit a few sites in the Czech Republic and Poland. I can't wait!