Western Europe: From A(ntwerp) to Z(urich)

It was quite an epic holiday, in the sense that the reason for this travel was to attend a dear friend's wedding. Eight of us have known each other since primary school and only one could not make the travel. So after years of leaving school and living in different cities (except A and I are in Melbourne), we met up again in Ghent. The rest commute in from Alor Setar, Singapore, Athens and London.

If you realised from the map, I have put the starting point as Amsterdam because I landed in Schiphol Airport but took a train straight to Antwerp. Sorry Amsterdam I don't have enough time to pay another visit. The rest of my friends planned the wedding in the middle of their holiday but I started my holiday with it. Four of my friends took a train to Amsterdam and spent a few days there after attending the wedding in Gent. I was the problem child and wandered off to Germany by myself. I was with my friends in Belgium but there after I was commuting by myself.

Here's the breakdown of the travel days and a HUGE THANK YOU to Paul who keeps an amazing blog where I pretty much shamelessly copied his itinerary on Germany and Alsace.

On hindsight, if I crossed to Strasbourg from Gengenbach, then down to Colmar before crossing back to Germany (Freiburg), this would save me one trip between Strasbourg and Colmar (instead of a return trip). In addition, trains from Germany to Switzerland are cheaper than from France to Switzerland, at least from where I got on the train.

M = morning, A = afternoon, E = evening

31/05, Day 00 - On flight*
01/06, Day 01 - Antwerp, Gent* (NH Gent Belfort)
02/06, Day 02 - Gent*
03/06, Day 03 - Gent*
04/06, Day 04 - Depart to Alf* but spent a couple of hours in Luxembourg (Burg Arras)
05/06, Day 05 - Depart to Cochem* in the morning. (Weingut Gutsschänke Rademacher)
06/06, Day 06 - Cochem*, day trip to Burg Eltz
07/06, Day 07 - Cochem*, day trip to Bernkastel-Kues, Traben-Trarbach
08/06, Day 08 - Train to Boppard, then boat to Bacharach* (Haus Irmgard Orth)
09/06, Day 09 - Bacharach*, day trip to St Goar, Oberwesel and Koblenz
10/06, Day 10 - Heidelberg* (Steffis Hostel)
11/06, Day 11 - Depart for Gutach* in the morning (Rommelehof)
12/06, Day 12 - Gutach*, day trip to Alpirsbach, Schiltach, Triberg
13/06, Day 13 - Depart for Gengenbach* in the morning (Schwarzwald Villa)
14/06, Day 14 - Gengenbach*, day trip to Baden-Baden but I ended up in Freiburg
15/06, Day 15 - Depart for Freiburg* in the morning (AirBnB)
16/06, Day 16 - Depart for Colmar* in the morning (Maison Martin Jund)
17/06, Day 17 - Colmar*, day trip to Riquewihr, Hunawihr, Ribeauville
18/06, Day 18 - Colmar*, day trip to Strasbourg
19/06, Day 19 - Depart for Luzern* in the morning (Backpackers Luzern)
20/06, Day 20 - Depart to Gimmelwald* in the afternoon (Mountain Hostel Gimmelwald)
21/06, Day 21 - Gimmelwald*
22/06, Day 22 - Interlaken* (Interlaken Youth Hostel)
23/06, Day 23 - Depart for Zurich* in the morning (Courtyard by Marriott)
24/06, Day 24 - Morning flight* out to Melbourne, transit in Singapore
25/06, Day 25 - Landed in Melbourne in the evening.


Side note: I am a creatureof habit!