London, Rome, Swiss Lucerne, Interlaken, Geneva, Paris Cross-Border Island-Hopping Road Trip

The cities on this preliminary scouting trip: London, Rome, Venice, Lake Como, Lucerne, Rosetown, Interlaken, Jungfrau, Spiez, Geneva, Paris!

For the past few years, whenever the kid has had holidays, we always chose the United States for our road trips. Here are the main reasons:

1. Hotels, accommodations, and flights in the US are relatively cheap.

2. Shopping in the US has many outlets where well-known brands are much cheaper than back home. Community discount stores are everywhere, and things are cheap.

For example, the well-known Ross and Marshalls.

3. The driving environment is similar to China, with left-hand drive. Most importantly, parking is very convenient, easy almost everywhere, and there are few places that charge. Also, the US is a country with diverse landscapes—mountains, lakes, deserts, hills, glaciers, and volcanoes. The road trip experience is truly fantastic.

4. Most importantly, the US has Disneyland, Hollywood Studios, SeaWorld, USS Midway, etc. There are lots of places for kids to enjoy. And when the kids were younger, they might not have been so impressed by pastoral scenery and cultural things.

This year, the kid is starting eighth grade, so now we can appreciate culture and scenery.

Before starting the main text, let me list our self-drive itinerary across several European countries so you'll have a clearer picture:

- August 2: Shanghai direct flight to London, UK (5 nights)

- August 7: London direct flight to Rome, Italy (4 nights)

- August 11: Train to Venice main island (2 nights)

- August 13: Rent a car in Venice, drive to a beautiful town on Lake Como (1 night)

- August 14: Drive to Lucerne, Switzerland (2 nights)

- August 16: Drive to Interlaken, Switzerland (3 nights)

- August 19: Drive to Geneva, Switzerland (1 night)

- August 20: Drive to Paris, France (5 nights)

- August 25: Paris direct flight to Shanghai

Article: London, UK

For a first trip to the UK, of course we had to go to London. First, the visa issue. Unexpectedly, the UK visa required far more tedious documents than the US visa. Although the first US visa application requires an in-person interview, as long as it's a family of three traveling, it's a 100% pass rate, and it's been a 10-year visa for a long time, with EVUS being just a formality. I won't go into how to get a UK visa; there are plenty of guides online, and Ctrip offers paid services. I've never heard of family travel being rejected! I applied for a two-year multiple-entry tourist visa, even though I might only use it once. Here, I have to complain about the UK visa's tedious requirements! I had to get a certificate for my wife proving she is my wife, and for my kid proving he is my child. Because my wife quit her job to supervise our kid's studies, the UK visa even required my company to issue a certificate proving I am her husband, she is my wife, and I am willing to cover her travel expenses, etc. The kid needed a notarized birth certificate proving I am his father, his mother is his mother, and I and his mother are his parents... In the end, for these notarizations of the marriage certificate and the child's birth certificate, I didn't have time to go to the notary office, so I uploaded the materials online. A little money spent, whatever.

This time, it was just our family on a self-drive trip around Europe. We chose Shanghai direct to London (August 2) and Paris direct to Shanghai (August 25). The round-trip airfare was surprisingly not too expensive. With this open-jaw routing, all direct flights, it was 8,771 yuan per person including tax, totaling 26,313 yuan for the family of three. This European trip was a 'cross-border country-hopping' journey.

As the plane circled to land, I took this photo on my phone in safe mode. I could see "London Bridge" from above.

London Day 1 (August 2)

Immigration in London was horrendous—we queued for three and a half hours to get through. The driver holding a name sign had been waiting over three hours. The pickup service was quite convenient; you can book it on various platforms in China. But because customs took so long, the driver asked for an extra 200 yuan, which I thought was fair. That's over 30 pounds, not bad. I didn't rent a car in London. One reason: the UK is right-hand drive, opposite to China, so I wasn't comfortable driving. The second reason: I was staying in the city center for five days, so I didn't need a car. In hindsight, using public transport was the right call. We checked into a five-star hotel on the Thames, with a window view of the London Eye across the river. The hotel was quiet and next to a park. Before arriving, I heard that parts of the UK can be chaotic, especially the busy areas and shopping centers might have disruptive activities, so I chose this quiet hotel on the riverbank. At least by my standards, it was the right choice—no beggars or homeless nearby. These photos were taken from the wooden bridge near the hotel, just a short walk away. Transport was very convenient, with subway and bus stops close by. The London Eye was visible right from the window. This photo was taken from the wooden bridge next to the hotel.

London Day 2 (August 3): Museum Visit

In the morning, my wife found a trendy street-corner breakfast spot less than 10 minutes from the hotel, and it was on the way to the British Museum. After breakfast, we still had time, so we took the kid to a barbershop on the street for a 'London haircut'. Surprisingly, many office workers were getting shaves before work, and we ended up waiting over half an hour. Check out the trendy breakfast and the barber's price list—so you'll know what to expect if you get a haircut in London.

I still have to ramble a bit about the British Museum: also known as the British Museum, located at Russell Square, north of New Oxford Street in London, UK. Founded in 1753 and opened to the public on January 15, 1759, it is the oldest and most comprehensive museum in the world, and one of the four largest and most famous museums globally. Its collection includes countless artifacts and treasures from around the world, plus manuscripts of great scientists—its richness and variety are rare among museums worldwide.

London Day 3 (August 4): Visit to the Natural History Museum, Hyde Park, and The View – the tallest building in London, overlooking the city and the Thames, including London Bridge and the London Eye, of course. The maps on smartphones are incredibly convenient now! You don't need to worry about how to use local public transport. Just use the built-in map, enter your destination, choose your mode of transport, and you'll see the route very clearly and accurately! Where to go, which bus or subway to take, where to get off... so easy. That's another reason we didn't rent a car in London—we made full use of the local rail system. I had pre-purchased London transport stored-value cards online while still in China. Visit to the Natural History Museum.

We made full use of the local rail system, very casually.

Walked north to south through Hyde Park

The view of the Thames and the cityscape from London's tallest building was fantastic. Even the restrooms at the observation deck were attractions.

London Day 4 (August 5): Visited Buckingham Palace. On the way, we saw the Royal Guard. After touring the palace, we went to the Thames to see the world-famous Tower Bridge.

I won't go into details about Buckingham Palace; there's plenty of info online.

The river water was a big disappointment—it looked about the same as Suzhou Creek.

Here's a photo of the bridge at night.

London Day 5 (August 6): With ample time in London, a visit to Windsor Castle was a must; its sightseeing appeal index is even higher. We bought train tickets and went. It happened to be Paddington Station, which reminded us of the animated film "Paddington Bear". A quick intro to Windsor Castle: If it's your first time in London and you have time, you must come here. Originally, we hadn't planned this stop, as I only had Buckingham Palace in mind, but my wife told me Windsor Castle scores higher on the visit-worthiness scale, and she was right—Windsor Castle is much bigger than Buckingham Palace. Remember to buy tickets in advance; I bought them on-site this time and queued for over an hour.

Windsor has become a hot tourist spot, with well-developed amenities around. Every little shop hung different flowers at their doorstep—very beautiful.

Windsor Castle covers a floor area of about 45,000 square meters. Its history dates back to the time of William the Conqueror. Like Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Windsor Castle is a principal official residence of the British monarch. The current Queen Elizabeth II spends a considerable amount of time each year at Windsor Castle, engaging in state or private recreational activities. Her other two residences are private homes of the royal family: Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle.

Italy: Rome (August 7: London direct flight to Rome, 4 nights)

London direct to Rome. Actually, there are many flights to Rome, some very cheap, but with awkward times, and budget airlines have erratic schedules. I ended up choosing a normal 1 PM direct flight with Alitalia. Both the London drop-off and Rome pickup were booked through Ctrip, all very convenient. I booked the cheapest car types, but each time, they sent vehicles one or two classes higher—seems like I got a good deal. It was quite late when we got to the hotel, so we didn't go out to eat, for safety reasons. So we cooked instant noodles in the room. Before dinner, I went out; there was a Carrefour convenience store not far away, and I bought smoked salmon, sausages, and a big bunch of green grapes.

I have to give this hotel a plug. Before coming to Europe, I heard Rome is chaotic, full of pickpockets, robbers, and thugs, so I chose a five-star hotel in the city center for safety and convenience. As it turned out, it was the right choice—safe, clean, and right next to "Piazza di Spagna" and lots of street-side restaurants. In Rome, I picked a five-star hotel right next to Piazza di Spagna and many eateries.

Rome Day 8 (August 8): Went to the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and watched the sunset at the square.

August 9: Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museum is practically a country itself. Its beauty is breathtaking.

Rome Day 10 (August 10): The Colosseum was a must. We had pre-booked tickets, so no queuing.

Italy: Venice (August 11: Train to main island, 2 nights)

Day 11 (August 11): Venice has two train stations; I recommend taking the one to the island station. If it's your first time in Venice, try to get a hotel facing the Grand Canal. I managed to book a large suite hotel on the canal—over 100 square meters. Besides a huge bedroom, the connected living room had windows right on the Grand Canal, an entire wall of windows spanning 10 meters.

Day 12 (August 12): Venice main island, St. Mark's Basilica, Glass Museum. These are all on the island; just walk around as long as your feet hold up. The basilica is worth a visit. The square has lots of cute pigeons. The Glass Museum is free, so why not check it out. No need to worry about directions: as I said before, just enter your destination in your phone's navigation and follow the instructions.

You still have to take an Aragón boat ride; it's actually quite expensive.

The photo below is of the church square where the coronation ceremony scene in the Sissi movie was filmed.

Dinner was just grabbed on the roadside.

Day 13 (August 13): Drove to the town of Como, on the border of Italy and Switzerland. The journey was about 240 km, winding along alpine lakes—sheer cliffs in places, shady trees, and deep blue lake water. The driving experience was comparable to Highway 1. We arrived at a small lakeside hotel at the foot of the mountain; it wasn't big but very clean, with three single beds. The window opened to an unobstructed view of the alpine lake—the scenery was stunning.

Then we strolled along the lake. The clouds hung low. If anyone asks where to park: in the marked areas by the road. It's free at night; during the day, just put coins according to the parking meter.

At dinner time, we had our meal at the roadside below the hotel, enjoying the view of the mountain and lake bathed in the sunset—good wine and food...

Day 14 (August 14): Drove from Lake Como to Lucerne, Switzerland, about 350 km. We arrived in the afternoon and visited the famous Chapel Bridge and Swan Lake. Enjoyed delicious food. The hotel was a 5-minute walk from the Chapel Bridge; the front desk at the small hotel was very nice and helpful, patiently answering all our questions. Parking was right at the door, as long as it was in a white-marked space. We actually arrived at 3 PM and then walked to the Chapel Bridge and Swan Lake—beautiful.

I'd like to share a couple of tips for fellow self-drive travelers planning a European road trip. Crossing from Italy into Switzerland was nothing special—very simple, no research needed, no checks. A European visa is all you need. However, two reminders for driving in Switzerland, especially for first-timers: Swiss highways don't have toll booths. They use a "vignette"—an annual pass, or sometimes a seasonal one—so be sure to buy this sticker. You can get it at petrol stations and convenience stores, then affix it to your windshield.

Lucerne, Switzerland Day 15 (August 15): The city center isn't big. Walked to the Lion Monument. Then drove to the nearby Rosetown, bringing lunch we bought at the supermarket the day before. Perched on a hilltop, the family enjoyed the view—utterly relaxing.

Rosetown is an incredibly peaceful place. We wandered, stopped, sat wherever the view was nice. Finally, we found a hillside to gaze at the distant scenery.

As for where Rosetown is? Actually, not far—just a 30-minute drive. The kid let his drone fly freely; there were few people around, occasionally a local riding a bicycle passed by...

Interlaken Day 16 (August 16): After breakfast around 9 AM, we left Lucerne and drove to Interlaken. The scenery along the way was breathtaking. We stopped whenever we could—beauty was everywhere. We meandered and arrived in Interlaken about five hours later. The main purpose in Interlaken this time was Jungfrau, plus a few pretty villages nearby. So we chose to stay three nights. Since we had a car, we didn't stay in the town center; instead, we opted for a hotel on the mountaintop. Here are photos from halfway up the mountain. (The video format isn't supported by Ctrip, so just enjoy the pictures.)

The view from the mountain was spectacular, overlooking the entire alpine lake with distant snow-capped peaks clearly visible. The open balcony had a table and chairs, and the main draw was the unobstructed panoramic view of the alpine lake! I booked a loft—a duplex suite with a kitchen, nearly 100 square meters, front-row building. The first photo below was taken from the open balcony.

For three nights, we had dinner on the balcony. We bought food from the supermarket and ate simply. The kid, like his mom, just needed salmon. We cooked three bowls of instant noodles with large sausages—very tasty, and the best part was the balcony ambiance.

Interlaken Day 17 (August 17): After breakfast around 9 AM, we drove to the train station. This time we chose the West station because there's more parking for drivers. Opposite the station was a big local chain supermarket; we bought dinner to eat at home, watching the sunset and the alpine lake from the balcony. We got raw and smoked salmon, sausages, bread, fruit, cheese, and salad. Something happened, though. After coming down from Jungfrau, we bought dinner at the supermarket opposite the OST station, then returned to the parking spot to find a 45-euro fine for overstaying. Looking closely, the maximum parking time was 5 hours—you can't pay more to extend. I had parked for about 6 hours. There are countless guides and photos of Jungfrau, so I won't ramble. The little train ride up was scenic all the way, but our previous days of driving had already bombarded us with beauty, so I highly recommend a road trip. Honestly, Jungfrau was just okay; I wouldn't want to go twice. By the way, the family ticket for three cost 500 francs—way too expensive! You can find plenty of Jungfrau photos online; I'll just post a picture from a transfer station on the way.

Day 18 (August 18): Driving to Spiez, the scenery was gorgeous—lakes were stunningly beautiful. On the way, we even paralleled a train, which thrilled the kid. After about 40 minutes, we arrived. We bought lunch at a big supermarket and enjoyed it by the lake in Spiez, taking in the lake and mountain views—felt fantastic.

In the afternoon, we returned to the hotel, and the kid found a hillside to fly his drone—so happy. The drone footage captured many alpine lakes, but it was too long and large to upload, so here's a short clip on the big meadow.

August 19: Drove from Interlaken to Geneva, about 350 km. We stopped now and then at roadside viewpoints; many spots had benches where we would sit quietly for a while. Lunch was at a rest stop. The roadside views were mesmerizing.

Geneva was just an overnight stop. We arrived in the afternoon and checked into the hotel. The hotel faced the street and was less than a 10-minute walk to Lake Geneva. There were trams and buses right outside, very convenient. At check-in, they even gave us two free public transport cards. After parking, the family walked to the lake, had ice cream along the lakeside, and on the way back, we had a Chinese meal near our base—tasty.

France: Paris (August 20: Drive there, 5 nights)

Day 20 (August 20): Drove to Paris, about 500 km from Geneva. Lunch at a rest stop. We weren't in a hurry and arrived at dusk. We chose a hotel in the city center, a 5-minute walk from the Louvre, with convenient transport right opposite—helpful for later sightseeing, as I'll explain. This hotel didn't have its own parking; actually, many central city hotels in Europe don't. I drove there, but no worries—they offer valet parking. The public car park was just around the corner. Over four days, I only used the car once, to go to the Palace of Versailles; the rest of the time we used public transport or walked.

Day 21 (August 21): Paris, France

This day was a lazy stroll: passed by the Louvre, then to the Seine. The Love Lock Bridge was covered in locks; I didn't add one. We saw Notre-Dame, etc. Paris felt great! Sculptures everywhere—a true city of culture! In the morning, the plan was just to get to know the neighborhood, walk wherever. We didn't encounter any pickpockets, robbers, or thugs; public security felt fine. Before coming, everyone said Paris was crawling with hooligans, robbers, bandits, and thieves! I'd prepared accordingly, but I was overanxious. Paris, Rome, Venice, and London were indeed different.

Walked to Notre-Dame and other cathedrals, along the Seine, and saw that lock-covered bridge. Statues were everywhere.

Saw a Huawei phone ad.

The Arc de Triomphe actually allows free access to the top. I recommend climbing it, but be mentally prepared for the spiral staircase—you won't die of exhaustion, you'll die of dizziness. The view is nice, though.

Day 22 (August 22): We had pre-booked Louvre tickets and just went with the printed pages from home. Kids get in free. When in France, the Louvre cannot be missed—it turned out to be absolutely worth it.

People were waiting for a good spot to photograph the "Mona Lisa".

Day 23 (August 23): We visited the Palace of Versailles. This wasn't originally in my plan, but on a whim, we drove about 45 minutes there. However, we queued for over two hours to buy tickets. So remember to get tickets in advance!

Day 24 (August 24): We actually went to the outlet mall near Disneyland to shop. We checked out and then moved to a Hilton hotel near the airport before going shopping. The reason for switching hotels was to make it easier to return the car the next day. After shopping, we treated ourselves again.

Day 25 (August 25): At Paris airport, a little mishap: I went to return the rental car but ended up circling the airport viaduct multiple times without spotting the Hertz drop-off. The navigation kept saying we'd arrived. Finally, I found it under a messy overpass, almost impossible to see. It took 40 minutes—so stressful! At the airport duty-free, I picked up a few small items for my wife.

Travelogue Contents: 1. Europe Cross-Border Island-Hopping Road Trip - London Station; 2. - Rome, Italy Station; 3. - Venice Station; 4. - Lake Como Station; 5. - Lucerne, Switzerland Station; 6. - Interlaken Station; 7. - Geneva, Switzerland Station; 8. - Paris, France Station. Travel Information, Hotel Index, Guide Index, Flight Ticket Index, Website Navigation, Travel Index, Cruise Index, Corporate Travel Index, Join Cooperation, Distribution Alliance, Friendship Links, Corporate Gift Card Purchase, Insurance Agency, Agency Cooperation, Hotel Joining, Destination & Scenic Spot Cooperation, More Cooperation, About Ctrip, About Ctrip, Ctrip Hot Topics, Contact Us, Join Us, User Agreement, Privacy Policy, Business License, Security Center, Ctrip Content Center, Intellectual Property, Trip.com Group Algorithm Announcement