Trains, trains, and more trains - and hotels to avoid or embrace
So where have I been for 2 days? On a train mostly.
We left Paris/Disneyland Sunday morning early to get from there to Chur, Switzerland (pronounced "Coor" like "Coors"). Why Chur? You'll have to read.
As the crow flies, Chur lies somewhat due east of Zurich, Switzerland (home of FIFA!). Zurich is Southeast of Paris - more east than south. To get to Chur, we rode 4 different trains, each about 2 hours in length. It was a long day - departing Paris at 710am and arriving in Chur around 430pm.
The journey? Disneyland Paris station (Marnee la Vallee) to Lyon, France (due south into the Rhone valley - lots of vineyards along the way). We had an hour layover here, found some food and souveniers, and some whacky crazy old French lady kept trying to take our laptop. Leaving Lyon took us back northeast to Mulhouse - quick switch of the train here and we were off to Zurich (and thus into Switzerland). My parents kept saying 'Zur-itch'. Once in Zur-itch we had literally 12 minutes to grab the next train to Chur - and this included purchasing tickets at a machine.
Once we arrived in Chur (a lot bigger than I would have thought) we settled at the best hotel we've had to date.
Quick hotel review:
London - Novotel Greenwich - super location right next to the DLR trains into central London. Greenwich itself is a quaint area with a lot of shops and restaurants. And it is across the Thames from the revitalized Canary Wharf area - a major financial center for London and also where cousin Anna lives. The Novotel Greenwhich rooms are tiny, but extremely functional, clean, and the area is safe. There is a pub that shares the small cul-de-sac along with the DLR station. Other places to eat as mentioned are one to 3 stops away. I'd stay here again for sure and load up that Oyster visitor card to use the London transportation options (underground, DLR, buses, etc). Downside to the Novotel - onsite dining was hardly an option and you're not in the heart of London if that is what you desire.
Paris/Disneyland Paris - Adagio Aparthotel Val d'Europe. This place sucked.
Disneyland Paris is a development of concentric circles all with the Magic Kingdom, Disney Studios, downtown Disney, the Disneyland Hotel, and the Marnee la Valee train station which services the TGV lines (France/Europe intercity high speed rail), the Eurostar (London to Paris train through the Channel Tunnel or Chunnel - which we took) and a host of other regional/local trains.
This includes the RER trains which serve the suburbs of Paris quite well.
Back to the inner circle of Disneyland Paris - as you would expect this most inner circle also includes all the Disney owned lodging properties which can be a great thing if you are staying there. No monorail but they have a bus service which runs about every 10 minutes and drops you at the Marnee la Valee station which acts as Disneyland Paris' transportation hub.
Within the next area of concentric circles is a shopping and resorts area called Val d'Europe which has a GIANT, upscale mall filled with shops which I cannot afford to restaurants and an aquarium we did not get to try. Here you can find some more affordable lodging options, including our hotel.
I will have to rant about this place later. Not a fun experience.
Chur, Switzerland - a real paradise. Chur is the gateway to the Bernina Express scenic railway over the Swiss Alps into Italy. We stayed at the Hotel Frieick (I still cannot properly pronounce it...so "freak" works) in the old part of Chur. The building dated back 500 years. The rooms do not. A very modern hotel inside, this was by far the most comfortable room we've had. We had a neat view of the town and mountains, a giant TV on which to watch Euro 2016 qualification soccer matches, and a pretty slick modern bathroom with a changing color light show on the door. Give it up for Hotel Freak. I'd go back for sure. A bonus was having a traditional Swiss dinner just 2 minutes away at the Hotel Drei Konige. If only Switzerland were not so expensive.
Milan, Italy - I write this from the Hotel Girasole. Another gem. We're about 8 stops on the metro from the Piazza Duomo (the city center) tucked into a Milanese neighborhood on the east side of the city. Nicola and Matteo run an awesome place and their heart and soul is displayed in every detail. Upon arrival you are treated like a king - a welcome drink, tips for seeing the city, restaurant recommendations, the best shopping areas, where locals hang out and eat, etc. The rooms are very modern, clean, and functional. Our triple room became a quad with Nicola adding a roll away bed for Maria...perfect for her size. She was pretty jazzed to see a bed especially for her. The place features a courtyard tucked away from the street where I hope to enjoy breakfast in a short while.
Next up - a train ride to Padova (Padua) where we pick up our car and drive an hour north to Liedolo and our stay at B&B Luisa for the next week. It will be a week of visiting family and being stuffed to the gills, but it will be a lot of fun.
We left Paris/Disneyland Sunday morning early to get from there to Chur, Switzerland (pronounced "Coor" like "Coors"). Why Chur? You'll have to read.
As the crow flies, Chur lies somewhat due east of Zurich, Switzerland (home of FIFA!). Zurich is Southeast of Paris - more east than south. To get to Chur, we rode 4 different trains, each about 2 hours in length. It was a long day - departing Paris at 710am and arriving in Chur around 430pm.
The journey? Disneyland Paris station (Marnee la Vallee) to Lyon, France (due south into the Rhone valley - lots of vineyards along the way). We had an hour layover here, found some food and souveniers, and some whacky crazy old French lady kept trying to take our laptop. Leaving Lyon took us back northeast to Mulhouse - quick switch of the train here and we were off to Zurich (and thus into Switzerland). My parents kept saying 'Zur-itch'. Once in Zur-itch we had literally 12 minutes to grab the next train to Chur - and this included purchasing tickets at a machine.
Once we arrived in Chur (a lot bigger than I would have thought) we settled at the best hotel we've had to date.
Quick hotel review:
London - Novotel Greenwich - super location right next to the DLR trains into central London. Greenwich itself is a quaint area with a lot of shops and restaurants. And it is across the Thames from the revitalized Canary Wharf area - a major financial center for London and also where cousin Anna lives. The Novotel Greenwhich rooms are tiny, but extremely functional, clean, and the area is safe. There is a pub that shares the small cul-de-sac along with the DLR station. Other places to eat as mentioned are one to 3 stops away. I'd stay here again for sure and load up that Oyster visitor card to use the London transportation options (underground, DLR, buses, etc). Downside to the Novotel - onsite dining was hardly an option and you're not in the heart of London if that is what you desire.
Paris/Disneyland Paris - Adagio Aparthotel Val d'Europe. This place sucked.
Disneyland Paris is a development of concentric circles all with the Magic Kingdom, Disney Studios, downtown Disney, the Disneyland Hotel, and the Marnee la Valee train station which services the TGV lines (France/Europe intercity high speed rail), the Eurostar (London to Paris train through the Channel Tunnel or Chunnel - which we took) and a host of other regional/local trains.
This includes the RER trains which serve the suburbs of Paris quite well.
Back to the inner circle of Disneyland Paris - as you would expect this most inner circle also includes all the Disney owned lodging properties which can be a great thing if you are staying there. No monorail but they have a bus service which runs about every 10 minutes and drops you at the Marnee la Valee station which acts as Disneyland Paris' transportation hub.
Within the next area of concentric circles is a shopping and resorts area called Val d'Europe which has a GIANT, upscale mall filled with shops which I cannot afford to restaurants and an aquarium we did not get to try. Here you can find some more affordable lodging options, including our hotel.
I will have to rant about this place later. Not a fun experience.
Chur, Switzerland - a real paradise. Chur is the gateway to the Bernina Express scenic railway over the Swiss Alps into Italy. We stayed at the Hotel Frieick (I still cannot properly pronounce it...so "freak" works) in the old part of Chur. The building dated back 500 years. The rooms do not. A very modern hotel inside, this was by far the most comfortable room we've had. We had a neat view of the town and mountains, a giant TV on which to watch Euro 2016 qualification soccer matches, and a pretty slick modern bathroom with a changing color light show on the door. Give it up for Hotel Freak. I'd go back for sure. A bonus was having a traditional Swiss dinner just 2 minutes away at the Hotel Drei Konige. If only Switzerland were not so expensive.
Milan, Italy - I write this from the Hotel Girasole. Another gem. We're about 8 stops on the metro from the Piazza Duomo (the city center) tucked into a Milanese neighborhood on the east side of the city. Nicola and Matteo run an awesome place and their heart and soul is displayed in every detail. Upon arrival you are treated like a king - a welcome drink, tips for seeing the city, restaurant recommendations, the best shopping areas, where locals hang out and eat, etc. The rooms are very modern, clean, and functional. Our triple room became a quad with Nicola adding a roll away bed for Maria...perfect for her size. She was pretty jazzed to see a bed especially for her. The place features a courtyard tucked away from the street where I hope to enjoy breakfast in a short while.
Next up - a train ride to Padova (Padua) where we pick up our car and drive an hour north to Liedolo and our stay at B&B Luisa for the next week. It will be a week of visiting family and being stuffed to the gills, but it will be a lot of fun.
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