iPhone applications that are useful:
- itTaxi – Local taxi service in Italy
- Trenord – Trains in Milan
- EuroRail Planner – Train booking app – if you get Euro Rail pass
- Xe – Check the exchange rate
- SBB Mobile – Switzerland transportation details
- Swiss – Swiss airline application
- GetYourGuide – Booking various local things at various places
- TheFork – Local restaurants
Web-sites that are useful:
- https://www.wegowalking.com/ – Walking tour in Paris
- https://thetourguy.com/tours/rome – Rome tours
- https://cellulardata.ubigi.com/data-plans-and-coverage/ubigi-esim-data-plans/ – Sim plan for data only (Did not work for us, as it does not give phone number)
- https://travel.orange.com/en/buy-a-sim/offers/europe – Gives phone number. Worked OK in Switzerland, Italy, Paris
- https://www.tosomeplacenew.com/europe-travel-blog/ – Blog site for various travel destinations
- https://www.eurail.com/en – Train pass – Has phone application to select trains
- Seat reservation is bit expensive via their site (Can do seat reservation from the company that is running the train (e.g. https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/tgv)
- Keep seat reservation until last minute – money is not refundable
- Need to add the journey, activate the journey and then show the pass in the iPhone application. Pass would have the journey at the bottom.
- If going to only Switzerland, the local rail pass is better
General Tips
- Paris Walking route: Check out the places at https://www.wegowalking.com/
- Paris – Restrooms are extremely difficult to find
- Italy (General)
- Trains can be extremely late
- Lot of traffic, so even short distance can end up in large taxi bill
- If you plan to buy expensive item (purse) where VAT is refundable, you need to report that with customs before leaving country (and also do the required process to get money back – there can be more than one ways to do that)
- Rome – Pickpockets active in local transportation – good idea to go to one place via taxi and then walk around
- Florence – Local leather good shops near Uffizi gallery (Lot of bargaining)
- Milan – Top of the root tour on sunny day is very pleasant
- Switzerland (General)
- Trains are pretty good and always on time
- Eurorail pass is not giving as much discount as local Swiss pass
- Major train stations have quite few stores (including grocery store)
- Most places are closed or close early during weekend
- Try chocolate brand other than Lyndt (Läderach)
- Scenic train – Glacier Express – seats fill up fast, so book in advance (Vegetarian food was good)
- Zermatt
- If possible, get a hotel from where Mattlehorn mountain is visible (quite good view at sunrise time)
- Lucerne
- Other places are bit far via train
- Interlaken
- Few mountains very accessible via train from there