Around Europe in 90 days

A Euro Trip Guide

Because even after this, you will miss something or the other.
And it is OK.

By Abhishek Sharma (Abs)

IIM Ahmedabad
December 2015

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

Objective:
The idea behind this guide is to help exchange students save time out of their busy schedules
on exchange program (tongue out). It will also save decent amount of money by helping them
prioritise their visits to places across Europe. The guide tries to provide end to end
information helpful for an exchange student especially from the perspective of an exchange
student in Paris/France. It shall also help people entering Paris or crossing France via Paris in
train connectivity and other things.
Acknowledgement:
The author acknowledges the inputs received from his friends from IIM Ahmedabad, Calcutta,
Indore and Lucknow. The author also acknowledges the inputs from Akhil Shanbhags Europe
Essentials of March 2013. A few images have been taken from Google Image search.
Disclaimer:
The details are as per the true account as faced or observed by the author. It is all based on
his personal views & experiences. There are many more things that can be explored and tried
out. These facts or observations are as of 2015 which might change in subsequent years. The
use of the information in this guide is purely voluntary. The reader is advised to check for
exact schedules/timings/prices and explore things to do as per his/her own interests.
Countries I visited:
France, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands,
Spain, Austria, Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary, Vatican City and Croatia.
More countries/places I would have liked to visit on this trip given time and circumstances:
Greece, Portugal, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Southern
Spain, Ibiza and London
Contents:
Flight options to Paris, Accommodation Tips, Useful mobile applications, Food stuffs, Planning
a trip, Eurail Pass, Shopping & Tax returns, Train reservations, Ryan Air & its own rules, Safety
tips and Information about trip to various countries.
Adventurous Activities:
Sky Diving Spain (Seville), Prague, Italy (Fano), Budapest
Scuba Diving France (Nice), Spain (Costa Brava)
Bungee Jumping Locarno (Swiss, 255CHF), Europa Bridge (Innsbruck, Austria), Milan
Kayaking/Snorkelling Portugal, Croatia
Trekking Norway (Kjeragbolten, Pulpit Rock, Trolltunga)

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

Flight Options to Paris:
You would need flight tickets for French Visa application. Hence, start looking for flight
options around the start of middle June for competitive rates and a timely Visa application.
Air France/KLM:
One can book these flights in association with Campus France to avail an extra 23 Kg check-in
baggage in addition to normal 23 Kg check-in & 12 Kg hand baggage. The total comes to 58
Kg which should be more than enough to carry even 20 Kg of ready to eat packets. While
returning you can bring the shopping stuff in place of the food. There is a discount also of INR
4000 on the current market price if you book through Campus France. So, a direct flight
(means less chances of baggage loss/delay) with an excess 23 Kg weight and a discount of INR
4000.
Air India:
The direct flight was a bit expensive as compared to Air France during our time. The excess
baggage option was there through Air India Maharaja student scholarship. You would need
to call or go to the office for the discussion of prices etc.
Aeroflot or Finn Air:
This airline gives you around INR 10000 cheaper tickets as compared to direct flights. The total
time is generally 15-20 hours to reach the destination as the flight first goes to Moscow in
Russia (or Helsinki in Finland). From there you take another flight, with some hours of layover,
to the final destination. It is not the known to offer the best of the services. There are cases
of baggage loss/misplace/damage and not very comfortable as per some reviews.
Gulf Operated Airlines:
These airlines will have a stopover in Middle East and then go to the final destination. One
can take flight with Egypt Air with a stopover in Egypt for a day or two. Visa is pretty easy for
Egypt. If current international situation exists next year also, then I would suggest to skip this
one. The baggage restrictions can be an issue in this route.
Accommodation Tips: Airbnb
Airbnb.com connects you with accommodation sellers in various cities around the world. It is
a trusted and safe website to book your accommodation. The Airbnb booking receipts are
also accepted as a valid accommodation proof by the French Consulate. There is another way
of what some people do. One can search accommodation on Airbnb and contact the owner
offline to save on Airbnb service fees. However, in this case you need a rent agreement
document along with ID of the owner to submit in the French consulate for obtaining the Visa.
Another issue when you go out of Airbnb system is a possibility of scam. In rare cases will
there be any landlord who will give you a rent agreement without payment. Never transfer
money to random locations in or around Indonesia, Africa or any islands etc.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

Around 350-400 Euros per month is the approximate accommodation rental in Paris city when
shared with 4 to 5 people. You should try and negotiate with the Host as he has the authority
to offer a special price.
When travelling in a large group or for longer duration trips or to places where there is no
hostel availability, one can book an Airbnb accommodation to get economies of scale. The
only downside is that it takes time to search, bargain and finally book an Airbnb
accommodation.
USEFUL MOBILE APPLICATIONS
Rail Planner App (EURAIL)
This is a life saver application during the exchange. The faster you get used to operating it,
the better it is. Almost all train schedules are there in this and best part it works offline too.
A few bus routes operated by DB Bahn are not there in the application. (For example: Zagreb
to Munich Bus). There are a lot of benefits along with a Eurail pass which can be seen in the
app itself specific to each country.
DB Navigator
DB stands for Deutsche Bahn (German). This application works online and has live schedules
of trains (mostly because the German train network is quite expansive and the trains tend to
get late at times).
RATP (For Paris)
This is the local transport application for Paris city. It has all metro, bus, trams, RER etc. routes
for transportation in and around Paris.
Hostel World & Hostel Bookers
Use ISIC benefit when registering for an account on hostelworld.com for $5 credit. You have
to register with the ISIC card number while making the account on hostelworld.com. These
applications will come in handy to book hostels for the trips. The apps have good user
interface. The earlier you book, the cheaper bed you will get. For weekends the availability
becomes an issue, hence try to book early. Some hostels are party hostels where there is a
party that goes on inside. Hence, dont expect a peaceful sleep in such hostels. However, if
you like to mingle and party with foreigners this is a good way to do that.
Booking.com
Some of my friends observed that when you book on this website/app, your card is not locked
for a security deposit amount. So if you are not sure of a trip but still want to book an
accommodation, you can use a card with low balance for the same.
Uber or Heetch (Paris)

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

There might be times you need to take a taxi to rush or for airport. Uber has a good network
in Paris. Heetch is ultra-low cost kind of app which has cash payment option as well but it
works only during night (8pm to 6am).
Google Maps
Needless to say, you are going to use them a lot for navigation. Load the navigation when you
have internet and then navigation works offline along with GPS (which doesnt need internet).
Here Maps or Offline City Maps
I havent tried this as I managed it with google maps. A lot of people used these applications
to navigate in the city. You can try it.
Food Stuffs to carry (mostly a concern for Vegetarian folks)
Ready to Eat: My advice would be to carry as much as you can (especially if you are a
vegetarian). The better ones are of Haldirams and ITC Ashirwad. I would totally not
recommend buying MTR brand as there arent tasty enough.
One can also carry tea bags, creamer sachets, coffee powders, maggi/yippe noodles, Upma,
Poha and similar ready to eat food stuff. The advantage is that these are easy to carry on trips
and almost all hostels have kitchens to prepare stuff. Some of the hostels offer tea and coffee
for free also but not the tea that Indians generally drink. Do carry small packets of your Indian
masalas. The food is generally quite bland and you may need to put in some masala. Chilli
powder, Garam Masala, Black Pepper, Chaat Masala worked for us to manage while cooking
food at our home. One can find a vegetarian pizza almost everywhere in Europe.
PLANNING A TRIP
I would highly recommend to have a look at the map of the country/locations you plan to visit
before you plan the trip. Make a route/trip in a way so that you avoid going to and fro across
a country unless you enjoy doing it or necessary otherwise. This will save a lot of unnecessary
travel and optimise your journey. Also, it would be a good idea to get up early and go out in
the city as in many countries the stores/markets/streets are closed/deserted by 6 or 7 PM.
Check out on Google Maps the train station near to the place you want to visit/travel. Search
for that station name in the Eurail app. You might save a few bucks like this.
Very Important: Check on the website of the place you are visiting for the operating hours
etc. so that you dont go there on a holiday or during a maintenance shutdown period. For
example: Mt. Titlis and Jungfrau are shut down for maintenance for 2 weeks in starting of
November.
EURAIL PASS
The exchange students in France especially Paris, they are going to doubt their decision of
having bought the Eurail pass. But trust me, once you get out of France you will realise how
big a saviour is your Eurail pass. It allows you a lot of flexibility in travelling (which you will be

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

doing a lot) and saves a lot of time that you might otherwise spend in purchasing tickets. If
you plan to travel across Europe, it is the best & most economical option.
Important things:
1. DO NOT laminate your Eurail ticket under any circumstances (even after activation
stamp has been done). The ticket checker or railway official will cut it into pieces
literally. It happened with some exchange student who then had to buy another Eurail
pass.
2. The Eurail pass is not the easiest of things to carry around without damaging it and
hence you would have to take extra care of it. You can put cello tape along the edges
of the cover of the Eurail pass (avoid doing it on the ticket) to prevent it from tearing.
3. It is advisable to fill in the journey details in the pass at least on
international/major/reserved/hi-speed trains. Some TTs are particular about it and
will get it filled before stamping it. There is a fine too for not filling in the details though
I never heard anyone getting fined as our pass is continuous use for three months.
There are some Eurail passes with specific travel days where its more of an issue.
Calling/Mobile Operators/WiFi
Lebara & Lyca are the commonly used telecom brands in Paris which offer SIMs for free and
without any documentation requirement. There are other brands like Free & Orange too.
WhatsApp calls are the easiest way to call back home as most of the places you will stay will
have WiFi facility. McDonaldss & Apple Stores almost all across Europe offer free Wi-Fi.
Hangouts Dialler Useful to call people when they are not online or to call a landline number.
It is pretty cheap as compare to other calling options. ($0.01/min for a call on a mobile in
India)
SHOPPING & TAX RETURNS
Since we are not a resident of European Union (EU) member country, hence we are not
supposed to pay taxes (VAT) for the goods we purchase in EU. Therefore, we are entitled for
tax returns for the same. It is applicable on many things some of which I know includes
apparels, electronics, chocolates, perfumes etc. Now, every country has a different threshold
above which you need to shop to be eligible for the tax refund. For Spain, it was 90 while for
France it was 175 for apparels. The general refund amount one can get is around 10-12% of
the billing amount.
You need to ask for tax refund stamp and documents by showing your passport while billing
takes place. When you exit from EU after your exchange, you have to verify the tax refund
slip from the Customs (which ideally should check your stuff, however none was checked in
Paris at least). One can either take a cash refund (deduction of 3 charge per bill) or refund
on a credit card (which comes in 6 weeks and requires you to post the customs stamped slip
to them via the free post boxes at airport).

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

Primark is a very good option to shop for non-branded, decent quality, relatively inexpensive
clothes and accessories across Europe. One can take less clothes if there is a baggage
constraint and directly buy clothes from Primark for their stay in Europe. Barcelona is also
quite a good place to shop with rates being comparatively cheaper as compared to Paris or
Switzerland or Milan. Zara near La Rambla Street in Barcelona is quite attractive.
ALL ABOUT TRAINS
For three months, you are going to travel thousands of kilometres on trains. There are two
types of trains with Eurail pass: Reserved & Unreserved trains. For most of the high speed
trains (excluding ICE not travelling to/from Paris) and over-night trains, you will need to buy
a reservation for some amount to travel in that train. The price and availability of reservation
varies on a lot of factors. The unreserved trains can be boarded directly without reservation
and the seats are on a FCFS basis. The Eurail app shows whether the reservation is compulsory
or not.
FRANCE (PARIS)
TGV With speeds of over 320 kmph, this train is a French Pride. These trains run all across
France and also to neighbouring countries of Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Spain &
Italy.
THALYS (THA) Part of TGV family that takes you to Amsterdam in around 3:17 hours. It is
operated on specific routes only (Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam & Paris-Cologne).
AVE (Renfe) This high speed train is jointly operated by SNCF and Renfe for trains to
Barcelona.
Eurostar This high speed train takes you to London in less than 3 hours and crosses an
underwater tunnel across the English Channel.
As exciting these high speed trains might sound, equally painful is travelling on them in and
out of Paris. All high speed trains require reservation while travelling in or out of Paris. More
than the price, availability is a bigger issue and hence you need to get the reservation as early
as possible. Moreover, trains dont enter/leave in Paris at night. The last of last trains arriving
in Paris will be 11.30 PM or midnight. The earliest trains leaving will be around 6 AM. So, this
means if you miss the last TGV from your station to Paris. You cant enter Paris that night
unless you reach some other station quickly and catch some other TGV coming to Paris. Or
you take some bus into France which arent covered in Eurail pass.
Reservation Costs:
For travel within France, the TGV trains have either 9 or 18 euro reservation cost. There is a
quota of reservations for international trains that SNCF sells to Eurail pass holders. After that
quota gets over, then you cant get a reservation. When the train (within France) is under
booked, the reservation costs around 9 euros. While near the travel date generally the
reservation is 18 euros unless the train is highly under booked.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

For international destinations, the reservation costs are different. There are some routes that
have fixed reservation cost.

Route Train Type Reservation () Time

Paris Barcelona TGV(SNCF) or AVE(Renfe) 26.5 6:15
Paris Basel /Zurich (SWISS) TGV Lyria 25 or 35 4:03
Paris Brussels/Amsterdam THALYS (THA) 20 or 25 3:17
Paris Italy (Milan) TGV 33 or 71 7:24
Paris Germany TGV or ICE 13 -

How to get a reservation?

There are three places to get your reservation:
1. International Train Stations SNCF has reservation counters at all major train stations
such as Gare du Nord, Gare de lEst, Gare de Lyon etc. There can be long queues here.
There are two kind of counters here: One for Immediate departures (which opens
at 6 AM and operate till 8.45 PM) and other one Departures on other day (which
opens at 8 AM and operate till 7.45 PM).
2. SNCF Boutiques Within Paris city, there are SNCF reservation counters where the
reservations can be done. These are generally less crowded.
3. On Board Reservation One can also buy a reservation on the train only if there are
seats available. However, the reservation cost is double of what one gets on the
station ticket office. So, 9 euro becomes 18 or 20 euro & 18 euros become 36 euros
on board.
There are online reservations for some trains but generally with an extra booking charge of
8-10. Since, we dont buy the Eurail pass to save ~200 using the bulk deal there is no option
of buying reservations anyway through official website. You can explore this website if you
want http://www.seat61.com/index.html. I have never used this.
There is a theory based on common observation that each station also has a quota of tickets
that can be booked from that station. So basically, this means you might reservation for a
train from one station even though some other station officer said it is not available.
It is always advisable to request the TT to let you travel for free or at a special reservation cost
in case you are not able to get a reservation from the station or there is an emergency travel
you need to make. One can politely explain the TT about the situation and most of them are
willing to help. Once a TT offered us cafeteria seats for 3 euros as the train was fully booked.
Another time we took a TGV for a 5 euro reservation for 1 hour TGV travel. So, the TTs can
make exception at times.
Train Reservation Strategy
Cheaper ways to travel out of Paris quickly: Look on the Eurail map for train stations close to
the border of France and the other country you want to travel to. Check for unreserved trains
further from that border French station to the other country. Take a TGV to the bordering
French station and then take unreserved trains.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

Why cant I take the unreserved train?
Simply because they take more than double the time a TGV takes. They have more number
of stops and slower speeds as compared to a TGV or a high speed train. These trains dont
travel longer distances. And hence you need to take multiple unreserved trains. You miss one
train and whole travel duration further increases. Also, because of the 80% attendance
system in France you cant afford to waste 2 days in travelling in and out of Paris.
GERMANY
ICE- These high speed trains (around 330 kmph top speed) are mostly unreserved unless they
are travelling into Paris/France. There can be times when people have to sit on floor also but
they allow such travels.
ITALY- High speed trains in Italy have a flat 10 euro reservation cost which can be booked
online at Trenitalia.com by using Global Pass as the special offer. There are some medium
speed trains as well which travel overnight at 3 euro reservation cost. Otherwise going from
Milan to Rome takes almost full day to travel via unreserved trains.
SPAIN- All trains within Spain are reserved and hence you need to pay a lot of money. There
are hardly any overnight trains which you can take to save on accommodation or time.
NETHERLANDS- Most of the trains are unreserved within Netherlands. Almost all the trains
have free WiFi and charging facility as well.
Eastern Europe- The only good thing about the trains in Eastern Europe is that the reservation
cost of overnight trains is pretty cheap. One can even buy a couchette here to sleep properly.
Be careful of theft on these overnight trains. There is a train conductor who takes your Eurail
pass and reservation to show to the TT and wakes you up in the morning 20 minutes before
the train arrival. Make sure the conductor is the right person. There can be fake conductors
as well on this train. Just be careful a bit.
Welcome to Ryan Air & its own world of rules
Ryan Air is an ultra-low cost airline that operates in Europe. The cost at most times are lower
than the high speed train reservations you pay along with you Eurail passes. It is quite
different from the normal airlines that we see usually.
Ryan Air doesnt generally operates from the major airport of the city but from a low-cost
airport generally far from the city centre (100kms in some cities).
The airlines operates on a dynamic pricing model and the fares can be as low as 7 and as
high as 250 as per my experience. If you plan well in advance, you can get cheaper tickets
but closer to the date of travel, its super expensive to buy a ticket.
The airlines requires you to check-in online (at least 2 hours before the departure time) and
print a boarding pass for yourself to carry to the airport. If you fail to do so, they charge you
hefty fees for checking you in and handing a boarding pass. The fees is in range of 20 to 50
(I am sure you wouldnt want to pay that much for a boarding pass).

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

Next, there is an extra fee (around 20 ) if you want to check-in a baggage. However, hand
baggage are free of cost till the time they are as per the dimensions and weight restrictions. I
have read reviews of strict follow up of these dimensions and weight limitations.
Try to avoid being over size or over weight unless you want to pay more fees for the low-
priced ticket you bought. Lastly, you dont get refunds for cancellations on Ryan Air. However,
for a fee (around 15 ) one can reschedule the flight.
Safety Tips
Keep your passport with you at all times. I would advise not keeping in a bag pack
while travelling as there is a tendency to forget the bag somewhere or someone might
steal it from you even though it is kept near you. There have been cases of all sorts.
The best way is to keep it in your jacket, pocket or some sling bag worn inside. It is a
huge unnecessary hassle otherwise.
There would rarely be any safety issue if you are travelling in groups. Even while
travelling alone, if you avoid shady areas, one should be fine. While travelling alone,
be careful of your luggage especially when in Eastern Europe.
Be careful of your luggage in busses and trains both. Try to sit as close to the luggage
or keep an eye on it. There have been incidents of all sorts.
Use your travel card carefully. As far as possible use ATMs which are inside the banks
or are attached to a bank. Always cover the keypad from your other hand when
entering the ATM PIN. Look around for suspicious characters before using the ATM.
Special precaution to be taken in Italy and Barcelona particularly.

Wherever you go, do ask for discounts for Students/ISIC Card discount/Eurail discounts.
Almost everywhere (bus tickets, train tickets, entry tickets etc.) there is some or the other
discount. We got student discount even in a cinema hall in Prague.
So, try your luck wherever you can.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

NORDIC COUNTRIES Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark
NORWAY

It is regarded as one of the most beautiful places in Europe.

Oslo:
By Train: From Paris to Oslo, it is over 20 hours of trains. Unless you plan to split the journey,
taking a flight to Oslo is preferable.
By Air:
Ryan Air flies to Oslo Rygee Airport which is 60km away from Oslo S station from where one
takes a train to Bergen or Stavanger.
Catching the 23.25 train from Oslo S train station to Bergen: For people flying with Ryanair
flight on Thursday night (reaching Oslo Rygee at 10.10) can try to catch the overnight train to
Bergen from Oslo S (60 km away from Oslo Rygee Airport), if you get a cheap and quick taxi
and your flight reaches airport 10 minutes early (It happened with us and we did make to the
train and hence saved a day for ourselves and of course a night stay at airport).
Bergen
One can reach Bergen from Oslo S by train. It is an 8 hour journey. There is an
overnight train (5-6 reservation) that can be taken to save accommodation expense.
Airbnb accommodation works best for a stay in Bergen. Hostels are very few and not
near the centre of the city.
Fjords Tour: This place has reflection photography at its best. The tour is composed
of different legs. Some of these legs are covered in the Eurail pass and hence one

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

 should not buy the packaged tour. Buy tickets separately for each journey. No prior
bookings needed.
LEG COST MODE
Bergen Voss Free with Eurail Train
Voss Gudvangen ~10 Bus
Gudvangen Flam ~17 Ferry (2hour)
Flam Myrdal ~25 Scenic Train
Myrdal Bergen/Stavanger Free with Eurail Train

The tour can be started from either direction. Some folks started their tour from
Myrdal (as it is on way from Oslo S to Bergen route). The tour from Bergen side starts
at 08:43 and the last train for Bergen from Myrdal is around 17:54. The tour is well
planned in the way that as soon as you get down at Voss, a bus will be waiting for you
to take you to Gudvangen and so on.
There is a 32 (after student discount online) bus (kystbussen.no) from Bergen to
Stavanger that takes around 6 hours. Though the bus is comfortable, one can take an
overnight train from Drammen to Stavanger. Make sure you reach Drammen in time
for the overnight train for Stavanger (5-6 reservation).
Trolltunga: This is quite challenging trek which needs to be started very early in the
morning (7AM). It takes 10-12 hours to complete the trek depending upon your speed,
fitness and weather conditions. The access to the base of this trek is from Odda city
(some 2 hours away from Bergen). Taking an accommodation in Odda is preferable.
One needs to have a great level of fitness to do this trek without problems. The trek is
around 23km or so for a round trip. Good weather is also very important for this trek.
Please dont do this trek if it is raining or there is strong rain prediction. Read how to
handle this trek online to avoid getting stranded for whatsoever reason. Generally,
they say the trek closes by 15th September. However, a lot of people went even after
that when the weather permitted. Trekking shoes are recommended for a
comfortable trek. The picture has been taken from Google images. I didnt do this trek.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

Stavanger
Stavanger is the city from where you can reach the two famous treks Pulpit Rock &
Kjeragbolten. One can reach Stavanger by a 7-8 hour train which is also overnight. So plan
accordingly so that you can save accommodation. Norway trains are very comfortable and
spacious.
Pulpit Rock: It is quite a touristy trek and very well commercialised in the sense that
there is regular transport available to reach the base of this trek from the harbour in
Stavanger city. The trek is rated as an easy trek and the distance is around 6kms. The
views are pretty amazing and it is around 604m above sea level. The season closes by
end of September mostly. No special need for trekking shoes. Normal sports shoes
with decent grip should suffice. Again a picture from Google Image search.

Kjeragbolten: It is less touristy and a difficult trek. The base of the trek is 155km away
from Stavanger city. There is a bus that operates from Stavanger bus station to this
place that leaves at around 7 AM. (Bus operates only till 31 August). During
September, you will have to arrange for a taxi to take you there. Since you will be
taking an Airbnb accommodation here as there are hardly any hostels here, you can
request your host to drive you there. It cost us around 75 per person. We were in a
group of 7. It is strongly advised to start the trek early in the morning latest by 11PM
to enjoy as well as come back in time safely. It takes around 3-4 hours (5-6kms) one
side to trek depending upon the fitness and speed of your group. I would recommend
getting trekking shoes as trekking will be quite easy with it for this one. In case you get
late while coming back and it rains, the return is going to be very hectic and painful.
One would want to avoid that situation and hence start trekking early in morning. Our
group faced rains and very low visibility atop the mountains or probably we were in
the clouds. (:p) Kjeragbolten is a boulder of 5 square metre area stuck at a height of
around 1000m above sea level. Read about it online for more.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

SWEDEN

Stockholm
Cruise to Helsinki/Tallinn/Riga/St. Petersburg leave from here.
Gamla Stan area is the old city area. Its a party city but only on weekends.
Viking Line return cruise to Helsinki is quite cheap (around 15-20 if booked in
advance). The cruise allows 7 hours in day for roaming around in Helsinki. We found a
lot of old folks on this cruise. So, we didnt find it a lot happening as we thought it

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

 would be. There are some cruises from Helsinki to Tallinn which are quite happening.
The city of Tallinn is also on similar lines.

Abisko National Park

A place in Sweden where Northern Lights phenomena can be viewed.
Train from Stockholm C station take around 18-20 hours to reach this place.
It is better to plan for 2-4 days depending upon the Aurora prediction to be able to
view the phenomena because it is an expensive trip because of expensive food, warm
clothes etc. One night stay costs around 25 in the hostels at Abisko.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

FINLAND

Helsinki
There was an island nearby (10 minute by Ferry ~7) where we spent most of the time.
There is a very huge store named StockMann if that interests you.
It was the first time we found veg burgers in Burger King in Helsinki.
Search well of what to see in this city to be able to see the most of what Helsinki has
to offer.

DENMARK
It is around 5 hours by a fast train from Stockholm. There are connections every hour. The
reservation cost was around 8.
Copenhagen
Lot of bicycles in this city. Best way is to cycle around and explore the city.
There is a huge tourist attraction called Tivoli Gardens which has lot of activities going
on in there. It is closed for certain days in September for Halloween preparations. Do
check before you go.
Stroget Street is the main shopping street or where the most of the crowd is. Decent
veg Chinese food also was available here. Kings Garden, Marble Church, Nyhaven
Harbour area are some attractions but nothing much great about them as such. There
are lot of clubs and pubs around the Stroget Street.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

THE NETHERLANDS

Amsterdam
Amsterdam Music Festival (AMF) happens in mid-October at the Amsterdam Arena
where all top DJs in the world perform. The ticket for Friday night was 60 and for
Saturday night was 80. It was one of its kind of laser + DJ show. You will bump into
lot of IIM folks here.
Rotterdam

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

 Kinderjik A world UNESCO heritage site which has 19 windmills from the 18 th
century. It is near to Rotterdam. Check the website for more details. P.S. The pictures
are of a random village near Den Hague which we found after walking 5-7kms.

Travel from Paris:

THALYS takes 3.17 hours and 25 reservation charge.
Take a TGV till Lille (1 hour or so) and then travel unreserved into
Belgium/Netherlands.
Unreserved trains are also an option that take around 8 hours.
Accommodation:

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

Relatively cheap accommodation (especially during AMF) can be taken in The Hague or
Rotterdam. There is 24 hour regular train connectivity between these places. Hague is around
52 minute away while Rotterdam is 72 minute from Amsterdam by train.
BELGIUM

Brussels
Belgium is famous for Belgian Fries and waffles. You will find a lot of shops near the
Grand Place (Main Square). Belgian chocolates are also famous (Godiva is one I know).
Besides buildings and palaces, there is an Atomium structure from where you get a
view of the city. Nearby there is a mini-Europe park where different icons of cities in
European Union has been made. The combined ticket for both after student discount
was around 21 .
Please dont go to Manneken Pis. It was the biggest disappointment for me to have
walked a few kilometres to see this over-hyped thing.
There is an Indian restaurant named Bombay Inn. The Veg Biryani was good.
Bruges
Its a small and beautiful canal city. Apparently, it is the cleanest of the three canal
cities in Europe (other two are Venice & Amsterdam).
Belfort tower has a 6 entry ticket and 366 narrow steps to climb. The view of the city
from the top is quite beautiful.
There is a torture museum in Bruges which is a different type of experience if it
interests you. 5 entry
Canal tour is 8 which takes you along the important places of the city along with a
guided tour.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

Travel - There are cheap flights to and from Brussels depending upon when you book.
From Paris:
1. THALYS takes 1.5 hours or so and 20-25 reservation charge.
2. Take a TGV till Lille (1 hour or so) and then travel unreserved into Belgium/Brussels.
3. Unreserved trains are also an option that take around 5 hours.
Accommodation Check out in Bruges which is around 1 hour away from Brussels.
FRANCE
Paris
Groceries in Paris
There are lot of supermarkets in Paris. Some of which I know are Casino, Carrefour, Leader
Price, LIDL etc. Find the cheapest one near to your house and it should be good. There is a
street called La Chappelle near Gare Du Nord station. Around this street, there are Indian (Veg
too) restaurants (including the famous Sarvana Bhawan) and Indian super markets from
where you can buy ready to eat packets of curries, dal, roti, paranthas etc. You get really
delicious paneer dishes at Sangeetha Restaurant next to Gare Du Nord.
Metro/Bus
Use the RATP app to navigate within Paris.
A single ride metro ticket (T+) is 1.8 while a book of 10 tickets costs 1.41 per ticket.
The same ticket can be used in tram, busses, metro and RER within Paris.
RER beyond Paris zone requires a separate ticket.
RER to CDG Airport is included in Eurail pass. However, you need to go to the ticket
office to ask them to provide you a free ticket by showing you Eurail pass.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

Reaching to Paris Beauvais Airport (from where Ryan Air flies)
Regular TER from Paris Nord to Beauvais (Covered in Eurail Pass) (TER is Prone to
delays during early morning time)
BUS Line 12 to Tille Airport of Beauvais. (1 ticket)
Places to See
Louvre Museum: Free entry for students under 26 years else 12-15 entry ticket. You
need to just show your student VISA/Student ID card. Its considered to be a great
place if you have interest in paintings and art work.

Palace of Versailles: Free palace entry for students under 25 or 26 years with VISA
proof. There are musical fountain shows in the huge gardens which are worth 7. The
show ends at 5.30 PM. Form 6.30 PM, there is free access to the gardens for the public.
The gardens are quite huge and the artwork inside the palace is breath-taking.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

 Eiffel Tower: Sommet (Top floor) student ticket was 14.5. Beautiful lit-up view at
night of the whole city. It also sparkles every hour which is a treat to watch.
Fragonard Museum of Perfume: Near Opera, there is a free perfume tour at this place.
They sell 24% concentration perfumes which they claim to last for a day. EDP is 15%
concentration and EDT is 10% concentration. Try them if you want.
Notre Dame: An old church which is a big tourist attraction. Free Entry.
Arc De Triumph: At the end of Champs Elysees (the most expensive street in Paris).
The entry to the top is free for students. The view of lit-up Eiffel tower and Champs
Elysees Street is a treat to watch
Champs Elysees is the most expensive street of Paris.
Pantheon: The entry is free for students. The faade is similar to the one in Italy.
Bordeaux

Bordeaux is famous for vineyards. There are paid as well as free vineyard tours. If you
plan your journey, one can do a day trip from Paris to Bordeaux. We went to Chateau
Malescasse for a free tour after contacting the manager over phone.
There are lot of commercial paid tours also ranging from 8 euros to 50 euros. The
vineyards are mostly away from the city (as far as 50km also). We called a lot of
vineyard owners for a free trip as we are students who have come all the way from
India. We got lucky with our attempt and one Chateau Malescasse manager agreed to
host us for free. So, we did a vineyard visit to Chateau Malescasse
(http://www.chateau-malescasse.com/) for free. Just that this place was 44 km away
from the station area. Using tram + bus combination it was a 2 hour and 10 euro
journey for us. Bus # 705 goes to this place called Lemarque from where the Chateau
is 500m only. Keep time margins and get the bus schedule etc. from the tourist info at
the train station.
Toulouse
Interested folks can go for an Airbus factory tour. Check online for more details.
South France
It is known for beaches mostly. There are four places one can go to. These are Nice, Monaco
(Casinos and pretty expensive city), Cannes and Marseilles. Preferable time is to go when it

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

is still summers (before October end so that the beaches are still lively). One can do scuba
diving and surfboarding in Nice. I have heard Nice is worth a visit at least.
GERMANY
It is a huge and an inexpensive country to live in. As compared to Paris or Switzerland or even
Italy, the prices are quite less in Germany for many things including food and chocolates.
Berlin
A beautiful historical city. There are lot of free walking tours happening around in the
city which can give you a tour of major historical spots along with brief background
about those in just 3 hours or so. We took the Sandemans walking tour which starts
around 2 PM in the afternoon from a place 10 min away from the Berlin HBF.
Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin Wall, Jewish Memorial, Book burning Memorial etc. are the
places covered in this tour.
Besides this tour, there are paid tours for concentration camps which can be taken.
Berlin Mall has a Lindt showroom for those willing to buy bulk chocolates. There are
lot of offers going on here.
Besides being an historical city, the party scene of this city is quite famous for. It is
surely worth more than a day to stay here. There are lot of pub crawls and party clubs
in the city. Explore for yourself.
Hamburg
We took an Airbnb accommodation in Winse city close to Hamburg (around 20 min).
There is decent connectivity between the two cities.
Miniature Wonderland was one place where one could find miniature working models
of various European cities. Entry 9
Munich
Oktoberfest is one major attraction of this city. It is on till around 1st week of October
generally. Expect a lot of crowd to be there especially on Sundays/Holidays. The
people come in traditional Bavarian dresses along with their family/friends. There are
tents in the arena where there is huge sitting facility inside. Each tent has a brand
name and they brew their own beer which are served in those tents. Each tent has a
history of some sorts. Basically try to go early to grab a seat. The beer inside costs
around 10 per large mug. Obviously dont try to take outside food or drinks inside as
they check you and your bag before entering the tent. There are lot of amusement
rides inside just like the Mela that happens in India but obviously with better
technological usage for rides. Some people find Oktoberfest over-rated too. Check it
out.
BMW Welt (Free) & Museum (7) is there in Munich near the Olympics stadium of
Munich. For football fans, Allianz Arena is there to visit which is something like 40-50
minutes by train. The tours happen at a specific time. So plan accordingly.
Marianne Platz is the main shopping and dining place of Munich.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

SWITZERLAND

A very-very beautiful and peaceful country in Europe. One can choose to visit Swiss either
during summers (by October end) or during winters (when it is snowy). During summer, one
will find scenic greenery as well as snow-capped mountain peaks. While during, winter it is all
snow covered.
There is a Golden Panoramic train which is free with Eurail pass. The train in 3 hours
or so takes you around for a scenic tour of North & West of Switzerland. It covers
places like Lucerne, Meiringen, Spiez and passes through multiple locations ending at
Montreux.
Rhine Falls
The largest falls in Europe is the Rhine Falls. There is 5 entry ticket to be very close
to the fall and it is worth the experience. During afternoon in summers, there are
beautiful rainbow over the blue gushing water from the falls which makes the scenery
worth the view.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

 There are Eurail trains which go to the station (Schloss Laufen Am Rh) right next to the
falls.
Mt. Titlis
Popularised in India by the famous Bollywood movie of SRK & Kajol, Mt. Titlis is snow-
capped mountain at 10000 feet height above sea level. Quite a popular tourist
destination for Indians. There are 4 cable cars that take you up to that height. Along
with Eurail pass there is a discount of 50% on the ticket to Mt. Titlis. The cost after
discount was 44. The winds and cold even during summers is quite fierce. It is
advisable to take/wear all sorts of warmers (including gloves, caps, several layers of
clothes/inners) even to feel normally comfortable in the open at the mountain. There
are Ice Flyer and other activities atop Mt.Titlis. Dont miss those!
Take the train to Engelberg station. From the station, there is a free shuttle that takes
you to the base from where the cable car starts. It is otherwise a 5-8 minute walk via
a shortcut in between the houses. It is better to go early in the morning as the rush
keeps on accumulating on the top during the return journey.
It is closed during two weeks of November for maintenance. So check your travel dates
accordingly.
There is Indian food (Pav Bhaji & Chai for what I know) when you come down to the
base. Also, you get Indian food at Mt. Titlis as well.
Jungfrau
Amazing views of Swiss Alps and the topmost point in Europe (~13000 feet). A popular
honeymoon destination for Indian couples. There are a couple of trains that one needs
to take to reach to Jungfrau. The entire ticket is around 200 which after a 25%
discount with Eurail pass comes around 150 or so. Use all winter clothing you can as
it will be cold up there.
Take the Eurail train to Interlaken Ost. From here you take one train (paid) either to
Grindlewald or Lauterbrunnen. From either of these places, another train (paid) takes
you to Kleine Scheidegg. From this place, Jungfrau railway will take you to the Jungfrau
peak. The total round trip after discount is 150 or so. Check the timings and weather
before planning a trip. Having a good weather is quite important for the views. If it is
foggy, then the views from the train will not be there. It is debatable whether to go
for it. If you have tight budget, have already seen Mt. Titlis and plan to come to
Switzerland later in life, then it can be skipped.
Grindlewald
One can go to Grindlewald village by taking a train from Interlaken Ost to Grindlewald
(around 17). Grindlewald is a beautiful village at 1000m above sea level.
From Grindlewald, there are cable cars which take you to a place called FIRST where
there is a Cliff walk path, a lake and zip liners activity. The cable car from Grindlewald
to FIRST and return costs around 29CHF. It takes around 25 minutes to reach to the

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

 top. The zip liner that takes you to speeds of 80-90kmph costs around 27CHF. The lake
was quite a walk from that place so we didnt go.
While coming down, one must take Trot bikes from one of the middle stations of cable
car. These costs around 18 CHF per person. These are pedal-less bikes which you guide
down the sloping roads and make your way to Grindlewald. It is around 4.5 km
distance and quite a fun activity with amazing views on the way.
Brienz Lake
It is quite a different and beautiful lake. The colour of the water is deep sky blue sorts.
One can either take a ferry on it or just view it from the train to/from Interlaken.
Meiringen
Its a small village which has a Sherlock Holmes Museum as well as the Reichenbach
falls where Sherlock Holmes fights Moriarty. Dont go there after 4PM else you would
not be able to reach the falls in time.
Zurich
One can rent a 4 person motor boat in Zurich lake for around 50 an hour.
One can cycle around the city and see important organisations offices in the city.
Lindt factory and outlet in Kilchberg near Zurich. However, nothing special about it.
There arent many discounts even though it is a factory outlet. There are no factory
tours as such as well.
CERN, Geneva
There are free tours conducted by scientists at CERN. One needs to book a slot online
for the same. Search online for the same.
ITALY

Travelling to Italy from Paris:

By Train:

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

 1. DO NOT buy the TGV reservation from Paris to Milano Centrale. The reservation (if
you get one) is whopping 35 to 71 Euros along with Eurail pass and the train.
2. The best route to go to Milan/Italy is via Switzerland. There are plenty of reserved as
well unreserved trains to Milan from both Basel SBB & Zurich HB. So from Paris, you
can go to Milan for free but it takes 18-20 hours with multiple train changes.
3. Paris to Milan in 9 Euros & 10-12 hours: Take a TGV from Paris to Mulhouse Ville
(France). Take an unreserved TER from Mulhouse Ville to Basel SBB and there are
plenty of unreserved trains which take you to Milano Centrale in 5-6 hours with 2-3
changes.
4. Paris to Milan in 20 Euros & 8-9 hours: Take a TGV from Paris to Mulhouse Ville
(France). Take an unreserved TER from Mulhouse Ville to Basel SBB. Then, take a
reserved train which take you to Milano Centrale in 4:06 hours direct.
By Air:
Ryan Air flies to Milan(BGY), Rome(CIA), Bologna, Pisa, Venice and some more cities in Italy
and the rates are pretty attractive if you book around 2 weeks before. In fact, the rates are
cheaper than high speed train reservations. So if you plan well in time, book the tickets to
save some money.
Airport in Milan is around 55km away from Milano Centrale Station in place named Bergamo.
There is a regular bus service (TerraVision & 2 more companies) which take you between
these places for just 5 Euros. The timetables and tickets are available online.
Airport in Rome (Ciampino): There is a free Eurail train from Ciampino station to Roma City
which takes 15-20 minutes of time. There is an option of 5 Euro bus here too. One can check
online for it.
Milan
There is a shopping street which is pretty expensive. Besides this, there happens a
Milan Expo which interested folks can go to.
Rome & Vatican City
Vatican City is 6km from Roma Termini station. One can take a Eurail train to Roma S.
Pietro station near Vatican. Vatican City is a country within the city of Rome. It has St
Peters Basilica Church or the Vatican Church. There is a long queue for its entry. Its
quite beautiful from inside. There is an 8 ticket to go to the top of the dome to get
the view of the street in front the church.
Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel: The entry is 8 for students. My advice will be to
skip it unless you know stuff about Vatican and its history. It was quite irrelevant for
me.
Colosseum - where the gladiators fought. The inside view is quite different and it looks
nice at night from outside when it is lit up. The ticket office is open till 4.30PM. So,
plan accordingly.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

 Roman Forum Centuries old excavated remains are lying here.
Free City Tour which starts at Spanish steps at 10AM and covers main sights and ends
at Vatican Church.
Pantheon Largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world.
There is one Janta Fast Food shop which has Pakodas and Indian tasting food to offer.
You can go there once you are tired of Pastas and Pizzas. There are plenty of other
food options as well.
Venice
St. Marks Square The main square of Venice. Quite a walk from the station unless
one takes a water taxi but you get used to it by then.
Streets of Venice Quite congested and narrow lanes in Venice. However, its a
different experience in itself after you get bored of seeing too much wide roads and
alleys in rest of Europe.
Gondola Rides 60 or so is the rate. Do bargain if you wish to take the ride!
Cinque Terra
Set of 5 beautiful villages (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Carniglia, Vernazza and
Monterosso) along the west coast of Italy. It is a world UNESCO heritage site.
Riomaggiore is 2.5 hours or so from Florence. Monterosso is also 2.5 hours away from
Milan. It was my best place in Italy.
There are train stations in each of the villages. The alternate way is to trek from one
village to another which takes 1 to 2 hours depending upon the villages. Manarola is
considered to be quite beautiful amongst the 5 villages.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

 Treks from Riomaggiore to Manarola and to the next villages were closed in
November. There are beautiful views that you get while on these treks.
There is a beach in Monterosso where the view is good and it is quite a relaxing spot.
Florence (Firenze)
They say for art lovers there is a lot to do in Florence. I didnt explore anything here
except Indian food. There is one Royal India restaurant where one can satisfy their
taste buds for 10-12 per person meal.
Florence is a good base city for travelling to Pisa & Cinque Terra (day trip).
Pisa
1 hour away from Firenze SMN station by train.
Leaning Tower of Pisa 2 km away from Pisa Centrale. 18 entry ticket for going inside.
Naples & Salerno
World Famous Pizza Shop: L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele ( Long waiting queues in
afternoon)
Isle of Capri: It is a 2 hour away by a ferry from Naples. It is quite a beautiful place but
not recommended in winter season.
Amalfi Coast: Beautiful coastal views. Access from Salerno
Pompeii: 40 minute train from Naples. Famous for ruins of Pompeii remains of the
city destroyed by volcano from Mt. Vesuvius. UNESCO World Heritage site. 13 entry.
Mt. Vesuvius (only active volcano in Europe) - There is a trek which takes you close to
the mouth of the volcano.
Fano
Skydiving with a coastline view. Around 200 is the charge for dive and videos &
photos.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

SPAIN & PORTUGAL
It takes around 8-12 days to see most of the cities of these countries. Train connectivity
between Spain and Portugal is very limited and operates from Madrid City to Lisbon.
Generally, there are no overnight trains in Spain. This means you need to take
accommodation somewhere every night in this country. Every train in Spain requires
reservation. For example: Barcelona-Madrid is 10.
Taking a flight one way to or from Portugal makes quite sense to avoid travelling for very long
distances in trains.
Ibiza is an island close to Spains eastern coast. A ferry takes around 3 hours to reach Ibiza. A
good way is to take a flight from Barcelona. The party season finishes in Ibiza by the end of
September. The trip will be very expensive. However, people who went told me that the
parties are nowhere close to what happen in Europe otherwise. It is at another level
completely.
Portugal
Lagos beach is quite famous and offers amazing views.
One can do kayaking here in amazing blue waters. 20-25 cost.
There is bus connectivity from Seville (Spain) to Lagos and Lisbon. One can check that
online. The train connectivity to Portugal is not very good from Spain.

Travelling to Barcelona from Paris:

By Train:
1. Direct TGV from Paris to Barcelona is 26.5 reservation. It takes around 6.5 hours.
2. If you book early you can get to (or come from) Madrid in 15 via Hendaye (France).
Take a 9 TGV to Hendaye (France) and from there you take a reserved train to

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

 Madrid. This connection is not there in Eurail App. However, SNCF ticket office can
book this train for you.
3. Take a 9 TGV to French cities bordering Spain (Perpignan, Nimes, Montpellier).
Reserve a TGV ticket for Barcelona from this city to save on some euros.
By Air:
Ryan Air flies to Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon and some more cities in Spain and the rates are
pretty attractive if you book around 2 weeks before.
Barcelona
Barcelona is quite happening and a famous party city. Kabul Hostel on the La Rambla
is quite a party hostel. If you want a peaceful one, you can try Yellow Nest Hostel which
is a bit away from the city center.
Camp Nou (Home of FC Barcelona) is there in this city. The Camp Nou tour was 17
after student discount. One can buy official merchandise here inside the stadium
complex. Home Jersey without name is 80. Printing of name and number costs
another 20. You can also watch a match here. Ticket prices depends on the teams
playing. You might want to check out the calendar before planning when to visit
Barcelona.
There are around 10-12 beaches to chill out. Hence, its better to go while it is still
summers there.
Many hostels here have a free walking tour starting from the hostel which can take
you around the major places in a relatively quicker time.
Barcelona is quite cheap as compared to Paris. One can do a lot of shopping here. Zara
in particular was relatively cheaper in Barcelona than we found anywhere else. Some
people even shopped for more than 250 as well. The tax return threshold is 90 in
Spain at least for apparels. The tax return in hand is around 10% of the billing amount.
One can do Scuba diving in Costa Brava which is around 6 hours away from Barcelona.
One can do a road trip or google for bus connections. Check the weather in
Barcelona/Spain before going. You would not want to move around on a rainy day.
Road Trip along the southern coast of Spain: One can do a road trip from Granada to
Malaga and Malaga to Seville via Gibraltar & Jerez. Make sure you go along the coast
route to have a scenic road trip. One generally needs a credit card to rent a car. At
times, centrum doesnt work with some agencies. Even if it works, it puts a hold on
some 500 euros which remain stuck for 10-15 days as a security to cover for
damages/fines incurred on your road trip. You need an International Driving Permit
(easily available in India) for driving in Spain along with your Indian Driving License.
EASTERN & CENTRAL EUROPE
CZECH REPUBLIC, Prague (Praha)
A very beautiful and different city as compared to Western Europe. The buildings are
quite castle-like and it looks quite amazing when lit up at night. Eastern Europe can be

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

 covered post October to late November, though it gets a bit cold by then. There are a
lot of free walking city tour that keep happening from the city centre area.
From Paris, take the early morning TGV/ICE to Manheim (13). From Manheim there
are busses operated by DB Bahn which charge 4.5 reservation with Eurail Pass. You
leave Paris at 7AM and reach Prague between 5-6PM if the traffic is normal.
Skydiving in Prague is very popular. There are 3-4 companies which do tandem
skydiving for tourists. A popular one is Sky Service. Others include Sky Centrum, Easy
Prague etc. Sky Service has its airport in Most which is around 100km from Prague.

Weather is very important for the skydiving to happen. Even after booking a slot, if
the weather is not good it would not happen. You might have to stick around for a day
or two for it to happen. Till October end, skydive happens almost every day. But later
it becomes heavily weather driven. So plan your trip/slot by checking weather at Most.
Foggy, rainy or cloudy weather is not good. 140 for skydive and 80 for HD photos &
videos. 20 extra for a selfie shot. Photos & Videos are given in a very cool pen drive
which one can connect to an Android phone directly.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

 Prague has become quite touristy which will be evident when you see the crowd on
Charles Bridge in day time. Hence, the general perception of Prague being an East
European country will be cheap doesnt hold true. There are lot Indian food
restaurants in Prague which shall cost 8-10 for heavy eaters. Bombay Express, Indian
Jewel, Himalaya Restaurant are some of these restaurants. A local dessert/snack kind
of stuff called Tredlink is a must try especially the Struddle one.
Karlovy Lazne is a 5 floor club in Prague, which is the biggest in Central Europe. There
are otherwise a lot of clubs, pubs, bars in the city and the nightlife is quite lively. Entry
8. Prague is famous for its nightlife.
We stayed at Hostel Mango which was at a decent quite location and the hostel was
good. There is one Hostel Ananas as well right on the Wenceslas Square which is right
near a lot of clubs and activity.
One can play escape games (in a group of 4-5) which have to be pre-booked before
going. 10-11 was the cost per person. It was a great fun activity to be done. (Google
MINDMAZE)
AUSTRIA
Austria is also quite beautiful like is Switzerland and Slovenia. There is a lot of scenic beauty
in this country.
Salzburg
A major connecting town from Eastern Europe to Western Europe via Germany just 2
hours away from Munich.
Salzburg has salt mines which one can explore.
There is a sound of music tour bus which I have heard is over rated.
Werfen (Closes by mid-October)
Werfen Ice caves located in Werfen (40 minutes away from Salzburg by train). A lot of
exchange students visit this place. These caves have naturally occurring ice structures
inside. The cave is 42km long but the touristy part where the ice formations are, is just
1km. Get down at Werfen station. The first bus leaves at 8.30AM. From there a bus
(6) takes you up to the bottom of the caves in 15 minutes. There you purchase the
cable car and entrance ticket to the caves guided tour. The complete price 22. There
is an option of trekking as an alternative to taking a cable car, however that takes 1.5
hours when done at a good pace. There is a good 20 minute slightly steep walk after
getting down the cable car.
You wouldnt find hostels as such in this city. Best way to visit is reach early morning
to Werfen between 8.30 10 AM. The cave tour starts at every half hourly. And it
takes around 1 hour to cover the complete cave. There are lot of steps (around 1400
in total) inside and sub-zero temperature, hence cover yourself well.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

Vienna (Wien)
Opera is quite famous in this city. A standing opera costs 3-4 after getting a ticket.
Innsbruck
Europa Bridge offers 192m of Bungee Jumping (Worlds 5th highest).
Swarovski Kristallwelten A Swarvoski crystal world near the city of Innsbruck
POLAND
Krakow
Auschwitz salt mine tour & Concentration Camps is a famous attraction for tourists.
A few Polish students told us that Krakow is a better city to visit than Warsaw which
is not known to people generally.
HUNGARY
Budapest
Buda and Pest are two areas divided by a river flowing between the two areas.
Community thermal baths and spas are quite famous in Budapest. A nice way to chill
out in the day. A very famous one is Szechenyi bath which costed us around 15. A
memorable experience it shall be. There are pools with different water temperatures
and different medicinal properties as well. (38 degree was the best one :P) Some baths
have specific sessions for Men & Women separately while there are some mixed
sessions as well.
Chain bridge is a very famous attraction and looks beautiful at night.
Budapest is quite a cheap place where a haircut costs around 2. The food also is quite
cheap. A stomach full of Indian meal costs 3-4 here.
SLOVENIA
Like Croatia, Slovenia is quite beautiful in the Eastern Europe. Ljubljana is the main city.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

 Lake Bled is the major attraction which offers amazing views of nature. It is around 10
minute walk from a station named Bled Jazeera. Some friends of mine got down at
Lesce Bled, which is more than 30 mins away and require a bus transport for Lake Bled.
So avoid being one of those.
CROATIA
Croatia is a very beautiful place located in the South Eastern Europe. One should not miss
visiting this country. The best way to enter is via Zagreb. There are two trains from Budapest.
Hungary and a few from Ljubljana, Slovenia. There is not much of a train system in Croatia.
Mostly the cities are connected via busses. One can also rent a car and enjoy the coastal and
hilly views of this country. Some people got the car without IDP as well. Buscroatia.com
doesnt show all the busses available. The exact bus schedules are available at the bus
stations. So pre-booking online might not be a very good idea. There are train connections
into Zagreb from Munich as well. DB Bahn operates a bus that takes around 7.5 hours from
Zagreb to Munich and vice-versa. One needs to plan well to enjoy Croatia completely.
Zagreb
Not much to be done here as such. One can explore.
We found an amazing India restaurant, Royal India, where the food was quite tasty.
Book you bus tickets to Plitvice from the Autobusni station (10 min walk from the main
railway station).
Plitvice National Park (Quite Amazing)
It is rated as one of the top 10 things to see before you die. It is clearly one of THE
best places on the Earth. It is national park with lakes and waterfalls all around. The
water is crystal clear and makes you feel very close to the nature. Weather is very
important. By 20th November or so, the park is completely closed as there is snow all
around the place. So, one should visit in September or October or early November.
Check for weather. If its rainy weather, it will take more time and effort to move
around the whole park. People say the complete park needs at least 2 days. However,
one can quickly see things in 5-6 hours.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

 If you dont plan to stay in Plitvice and wish to see all of the park, then you must take
the early morning 5.50 AM or so bus from Zagreb. The journey takes around 2.30
hours. This is to ensure that you are ready to see the park by 9.30 AM at max. This
gives you around 5-6 hours before the last bus to Split leaves from Plitvice Park at
2.30PM. The next bus that comes is at 11.30PM in the night which has an optional
stop at Plitvice. Plus it is quite a natural habitat and hence you would not find any
market area or something there. Either take an accommodation of one night or the
above plan works well.
Split
A coastal city of Croatia. It is around 4-5 hours away from Plitvice National Park. There
is no train connection as such. A train connection from Split to Zagreb takes 6 hours.
There is Brac Island and Bol beach near split. It takes around 45 minutes by Ferry to
reach there. One can plan a day trip to this place and return in the evening to catch
the bus to Dubrovnik (4hours away).
Dubrovnik
A southern city of Croatia where a lot of Game of Thrones episodes have been shot.
It has the famous Kings Landing and the Iron Throne.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

 The Adriatic Sea offers stunning blue waters along with the sun shining over it. We
stayed at MyWay Hostel which was quite good.
It has mostly an Old town which is also a World UNESCO heritage site. There is a GOT
tour worth 24 that one can take. There is also kayaking tours that take place in the
daytime.

There is Lokrum Island nearby where there is the Iron Throne in some monastery. A
lot of people missed out on seeing it as they didnt know it could be in a monastery(:P)
There is an overnight bus from Dubrovnik to Zagreb which leaves at 9.30PM and
reached Zagreb at 6AM.

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma

Important points regarding stuff to be packed:
1. Take a small weighing device which help you in packing your bags before taking flights.
You dont want to take chances with Ryan Air or any other major airline as almost all
the processes are computerised and there is not running away as such with excess
baggage. One person amongst the people staying together can carry the same.
2. Small locks with hardened arm. These will come in handy while locking your bags in
hostels. Take good quality small size locks. Some hostels sell the same too for 3-4.
3. Basic Medicines is a must. It will be very convenient in case one falls sick there. Keep
some Volini gel as well. If you are not very comfortable walking 10-15 km a day, you
might face problems initially.
4. Dont pack too many jeans/clothes. You would not be using more than 2-3 jeans in
Europe. Carry extra pair of socks as you would need them a lot. It will be a good idea
to pack 1-2 woollen socks as well. No need to pack floaters as it is quite cold.
5. Pack swimwear as you might need them for beaches or baths etc.
6. Carry extra spectacles as a back-up in case you break you current one there.
7. It is a great idea to carry sachets of shampoo, washing powder, shaving gel tubes etc.
It is very convenient to carry them on trips instead of carrying a bulky shampoo bottle.

From To Countries/Activity
05-Sep 17-Sep Paris/Classes
Norway, Sweden, Finland,
17-Sep 28-Sep Denmark, Hamburg, Berlin,
Munich
01-Oct 05-Oct Switzerland + Werfen(Austria)
08-Oct 12-Oct Barcelona
15-Oct 19-Oct Belgium + Netherlands
22-Oct 02-Nov Prague + Budapest + Croatia
04-Nov 11-Nov Italy
20-Nov IIMA Bidding
24-Nov 01-Dec Paris

Brief of my Travel Itinerary

Have a wonderful and safe Euro trip!!!

Around Europe in 90 days A Euro Trip Guide by Abhishek Sharma