[Uprasenjit]

Teaser video -

http://youtube.com/watch?v=eX-_wKgXOgM

Warning- This travelogue has turned into a photolog. I have linked each day's journey separately so that it is easier for you to read.

When our friend called and invited us to her wedding, we knew this was it. If you have read my previous post https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...nd-rovers.html (My journey to find the perfect road trip car | Ownership Reviews | BMWs and Land Rovers) you will know we were desperately waiting for the long holidays. It has been 4 years since we were in Europe. So when we got the invitation we knew this is our chance to restart the road trips. We were asked to RSVP 4 months back (I know it sounds silly but she has to plan for everything).

But unlike living in the EU it was a bit different if you are in the UK. First of all you will need a Schengen visa. And getting a visa appointment these days isn’t easy. In January ’23 I applied for our visa and got an appointment 90 days later i.e. in mid of April. As I write this article I am still waiting for our visa and praying it arrives before the 28th April.

The plan was to visit Lake Como in Italy. But as we have to cross France and Switzerland to reach there we decided to spend some time in both countries. My wife is a Shahrukh Khan fan hence Switzerland is the obvious choice. Also last time we visited Switzerland it was all white, see photos here - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...itzerland.html (A road-trip in Switzerland) hence we wanted the summer flavor of Swiss. I wanted to visit Colmar and some medieval towns in Italy but that isn’t happening. We also must visit a friend in Paris and be nostalgic about the old days over drinks.

After quite some planning the plan was made like this –
1. Day 0 – Ipswich to France - Stay over somewhere in France on the way to Switzerland.
2. Day 1 – France to Switzerland – Stay near Interlaken
3. Day 2 – Switzerland
4. Day 3- Switzerland
5. Day 4 – Switzerland
6. Day 5 – Switzerland to Lake Como (Italy)
7. Day 6- Lake Como (Italy)
8. Day 7 – Lake Como (Italy)
9. Day 8 – Lake Como to Paris
10. Day 9 – Paris
11. Day 10 – Paris
12. Day 11 – Paris to Home

First thing first – Getting a Schengen visa
As I said getting an appointment for a French visa was almost impossible. We needed a French visa because we were driving and Calais would be our first port of entry. And recently a few of my friends applied for France so they knew how to do it. I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel.
First of all, you need an appointment and pay for it. Then you need to make all bookings. We were taking the Euro Tunnel otherwise provide you plane/bus/train tickets. Then you submit an application. The nearest TLSConnect (the agency that process visa for France and Belgium. Like VFS) center for us is in London and we decided to drive. Then on the appointment date you print a whole lot of documents (all ids, finances, travel itinerary, tickets etc) and be there on time. There was a big queue and we knew we may have to wait for hours. And coincidentally Megh was being fussy that day, and he started crying. Finally, after 3 hours we finished and headed back home.

We tend to book Airbnb in most of the places. It costs us a little high but its well worth it. A place to run after a long drive for the baby, place to wash cloths and cook. I will share the booking once we reach that destination. The booking for Reims was done via booking.com and its a hotel, because we only need a place to crash for the night.

Packing
Packing for car –
I have driven in Europe before. My wife used to live in Amsterdam and I visited her often. We hired car and went on road trips frequently. But driving a car from UK to Europe was different. Apart from regular long trip stuffs (engine oil, water, spare bulbs, air compressor, puncture repair kit etc.) it was mandatory to carry few things in Europe. As the driving styles are different in UK and EU a car should be properly marked that it is a UK car. So these are mandatory things –
1. UK sticker
2. High vis vests
3. Red triangle
4. Beam reflector
5. Universal bulb kit
6. First aid kit.
It is no longer mandatory to carry breath analyser (phew). We bought big plastic containers to put everything together. I will post a picture when the packing is done.

Documents –
1. Passports, Visas
2. BRPs
3. Tickets – Hotels, Euro Tunnel
4. Travel insurance
5. Car documents – registration, MOT, tax, Insurance
6. Euro breakdown cover - it is mandatory to have a breakdown cover, and safe too.

We also packed other usual things which I wont mention here. We are travelling with a child so there are load of things we are carrying from him, starting from his stroller to his new tricycle. Unfortunately we don’t travel light. It is a big trip for Megh, and some of the days the travel is for more than 12 hours, so we have to make sure we keep him busy. We also cook sometimes so carry a box of groceries and food. We always carry a camping stove and few bottles of gas so food usually isnt a problem on the way.

Other Prerequisites
Most of the EU nations has similar driving rules, however few countries have some specific rule. For example-
1. Paris is an eco-friendly city hence we have to pay certain tax (in the name of buying a sticker). We ordered the a Crit'Air sticker from this French website https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/. Supposedly to receive it before I start next friday but even if I dont I can take a printout from the confirmation email.
2. Swiss road tax - For whole of Switzerland we need to pay tax (again in form of buying a sticker) to drive. I could but didnt order it online. And Blackpearl told it could be bought at the border.
3. Went for a 30 Point extensive safety check on the Landrover. The last it was serviced was in December before our Scotland trip. It didnt particularly need a service but I wanted to make sure it was safe to drive and wont cause any problems. Its a old car and the journey is very long.
4. Satnav updated with Europe Map. I use Tomtom Go 50 which has a lifetime map updated. I dont like the Discovery's navigation and I dint update it yet.

And heres a picture before I start the travelogue.

[Uprasenjit]

Day 0 - Ipswich to Reims (France)
Our visa arrived 2 days before our journey. The visa has 1 year validity (which means more euro trips). Packing is almost finished. The car has returned from the garage with both new front lower suspension arm, ac serviced, wheel balanced and coolant topped up. Costing me £650 . Honestly at this moment we are both excited and nervous. And now when I am writing this again after I have returned to the UK it seems so simple. Final picture of the fully loaded boot -

Taking the Euro Tunnel
This was my first time in the Euro Tunnel hence everything was new to me. I read multiple articles, and travelogues, watching a couple of videos to understand what exactly happens here. In Switzerland to drive to Zermatt we had to get our car onto a train but this was different. This time we were crossing borders. The entire check-in process is very easy. At the first barrier your car will get recognized automatically (if you have pre-booked tickets and registered the car online) and they will give you a boarding number. Then the 2nd one is UK immigration where the officer will check your passport and visa, and the last one is France immigration where the same is checked again by the French. The entire time we were in the car and it hardly took 10-15 mins.

The Euro shuttle is a big carriage train. Due to the height of our Landrover we were sent to the high vehicle section where there were caravans, busses and trucks onboarded with us. We went straight into one of the cargo and stopped when the previous vehicle stopped or someone told us to stop. Had to put the car in P mode and kill the engine. We were advised to lower the windows so that air can pass. I tried to take a but was too excited about the journey.

The shuttle took 35 minutes to take us to Calais (France). When the shuttle stopped and we were asked to drive away slowly we were driving on a foreign land with different rules. The first difference was I had to drive on the right side of the road. Many friends have asked if it was difficult to drive on the other side, and now that I have finished driving 3500+ KM I can say no its not. It just takes a few minutes to adjust your driving. At this part of France and at this time (almost 9 PM EST) there was very less vehicle on the road, which helped to adjust even more.

It took us another 3.5 hours to reach Reims which was our first stopover. We stopped only once to give the baby a break and let him stretch his legs. We booked Hotel B&B Hotel Reims Bezannes which is just outside the city. Good hotel for a stopover, nothing fancy.

Total distance covered -527 Km
Time taken - 10 hours including stops, shuttles etc.

[Uprasenjit]

Day 1 - Reims (France) to Diemtigen (Switzerland)

Day 1 was mostly driving to Switzerland. We had our breakfast at the hotel and started around 11 am. Target was to reach before 8 pm as it was a 600km drive and Swiss highways near the mountains are different. There is nothing more to say except a few things-
French roads are terribly well built. Driving the Landrover on the UK roads was always like ups and down, whereas French roads were smooth and we didn’t feel anything
I don’t remember hitting any pothole or any uneven roads the entire time
French Road taxes are bloody expensive and that explains why the highways are so uniform.
There’s plenty of rapeseed/ field throughout. And it reminded us of the famous scene from DDLJ.


Crossing France-Swiss Border
Before reaching Switzerland we started seeing the mountains from far. It gave us the same feeling as being able to see the mighty Himalayas for the first time from Siliguri. The border at St Louis was pretty obvious unlike many other borders in Europe. There were armed personnel from both countries. I was supposed to buy a Swiss Highway Vignette but I couldn’t see any store/office. The sticker was bought from a petrol service station the next time we stopped.

Our Airbnb was booked in Diemtigen which is a small village not far from Interlaken (In-tar-la-Ken). When we reached the nearby village there was enough light for us to appreciate the beauty around us. The owner of the B&B was a very old lady who welcomed us to her beautiful traditional Swiss Chalet and showed us the rooms etc. The Chalet was older than her and she showed us the room where she was born. The inside of the chalet was well equipped with modern amenities. There was plenty of spaces for the baby to run around in Chalet and outside. We couldn’t believe we have so far driven 1000 km in 24 hours with the baby. Here are some picture of the scenic Swiss village -

Total distance covered -552 Km
Time taken - 8.5 hours including stops
Stay - https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/15642...SyVK%2FUAZxwDt

[Uprasenjit]

Day 2 – Stubbach Falls (Switzerland)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=r0PIE7EkKV0

We had kept plenty of time to visit Interlaken and its surrounding places. The way we traveled has changed over the past few years. We no longer do hurricane tours and only visit a single place per day. We try to spend plenty of time in/at that place. Of course if weather permits. May isn’t the best time to visit Europe. Even though it is warm but it is also very flaky, it could rain over days in May. But the worst thing about May is that the most beautiful passes weren't open. Furka pass and St Gotthard pass wasnt drivable at that time hence all I could do is to find some places around Interlaken.
The weather on the first day was excellent, so we went to see Stubbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen. This is one of the places where you have probably seen an Instagram video on. We stopped few times on the way.

There is a parking very close to the falls. Once parked we then started roaming around the village. The village is small but very beautiful. Greenery in Switzerland is that it is very different from the greens of the UK. The green is light green and very bright, hence the pictures of Swiss come out so well. Also it is green everywhere, right from the edge of the street. I have not seen this in any other country, it is like someone has carefully painted the country, and drew those beautiful lines.

[Uprasenjit]

Day 3- Grindelwald (Switzerland)

If you want to drive on a proper mountain then Grindelwald is the destination for you. It has a number of hairpin bends and steep roads but with Swiss quality. The landscape is as beautiful as it can get. No need to mention how terrible the Landrover is on those winding roads. I guess the BMW would have been more fun.
However, when we reached Grindelwald we were let down by the weather GOD. It was raining!! We canceled plans to go to Jungfrau Top. Going to the top was a costly affair (320 Euro without a swiss travel pass) so we didn’t want to take a chance. There was always a next time. Instead, we parked in Grindelwald and strolled around the town. Without much to do in the rain, we came back to Airbnb quickly. I am sure Grindelwald would look out of the world under proper weather, our pictures during rain is the proof. Here are some photos which we took on the way –

There was a small river/stream beside our Airbnb. I took the opportunity of coming back early to explore the stream. So we took the Landrover near a small waterfall on the stream. It's not much of an offroad but feels good to be able to do this when presented with a chance (The BMW could have never done this).

Yours truly

The rest of the day was spent with the toddler and looking at the cows on the Airbnb’s farm. Sometimes a little break after a long drive doesn’t hurt.

[Uprasenjit]

Day 4 - Lake Thun (Switzerland)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=o_LunKfnjD4?feature=share

The weather didn’t improve the next day in Grindelwald and the surrounding regions. The Swiss government has put live cameras at all important tourist locations and we can see the current weather at any point in time. Lake Thun looked like an interesting choice then. Not only the lake was pristine blue and serene but the drive along the lake also seemed interesting. So our destination for the day was Lake Thun. Without any strict timing, we started driving from the western side to the eastern side, and then I remember we have driven from East to West before. This time the lake looked completely different. One of the cleanest lakes I have seen in recent times lake Thun is 17km long so the drive was quite something. We stopped at some viewpoints on the way before returning. There are some beautiful tunnels with great views. While returning we stopped at one of the most photographed sections of the lake. It is a castle on the lake with beautiful views. We also stopped at the town center to grab some food.

Thun wasn’t our first choice but we were glad that we visited the town. We sat by the lakeside for some time. It has been a wonderful journey so far and by God's grace, the Landrover didn’t disappoint at all. Even though the engine oil was showing 2 marks less but that was nothing to worry about I guess. Driving a 13 year old car is always risky and that too is a Landrover which has a reputation for breaking down often.

[Uprasenjit]

Day 5 - Interlaken to Lake Como (Italy)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Z0Gsn_Ah900

We started at 10am from the village. Had to stop soon to take a picture of a wooden bridge nearby.

The journey to Lake Como from Diemtigen wasn’t supposed to be long. However, two of the high passes were closed i.e. Route 19 and 11. Hence we had to take Route 8 which eventually merges with Route 2. The highway finally reached Lake Lugano which shares its border with Italy.
The weather and geography change dramatically near Lake Lugano. Varities of palm trees started to show themselves. The weather was warm and felt like reaching an Asian country. Swiss and Italian border was also patrolled by border force. On the way we picked up fresh groceries like meat, bread, butter, fruits, etc. Our destination was Varenna which was on the opposite side of Lake Como. We reached Menaggio and took a ferry to cross the lake. There is a ticket counter at the dock and the ticket for the car and us was £16.

Swiss-Italy Border at Lake Lugano


Waiting for the ferry at the dock.


Some Italian beauty on the way




Entering the ferry

The ferry ride was about 15-20 minutes. We stayed in the car the entire time. As we got closer to Varenna we witnessed a beautiful Italian coastal town. The colored building added some character to the town. I never knew Lake Como was so beautiful until I got there. Our Airbnb was uphill and 10 minutes drive from the lake but the view from up there was the best. We read multiple reviews before booking the apartment. We reached our apartment just before sunset and believe me when I say the sunset we experienced was one of the best.

Getting down from the ferry


The Parking


View from Parking


The balcony




Lake Como at Dusk


View of Varenna after sunset




And lastly some happy faces after a wonderful drive

Total distance covered -300 Km
Time taken - 8.5 hours including stops
Stay - https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/64428...ThT1MB7zLe%2F1

[Uprasenjit]

Day 6 - Lake Como (Italy)

This was our rest day before the wedding. Also, a chance to explore Varenna or rather Lake Como. There are multiple towns on Lake Como such as Varenna, Belaggio, and Menaggio. We came to Varenna because the wedding takes place here. But before heading out I desperately needed to eat homemade food and so we cooked chicken curry for lunch. We have been cooking one time a day since Day 1 but mostly minimum. The baby was mostly on pasta and bread and thankfully he was eating well. So after 6 days, we deserved a well cooked chicken curry.

After lunch, we headed towards the town. The groom, bride, and her parents arrived the day before. We also met them at a restaurant. Rest of the afternoon was spent strolling around Varenna.

Varenna is a very picturesque village. This small traditional Italian village is home to many villas and beautiful botanical gardens. The wedding was taking place at one of those villas – Villa Cipresi. There is a walk along the bay where there are plenty of shops, restaurants, and ice cream parlors. At sunset, it’s really quite magical and there are plenty of places to sit and soak up the atmosphere and watch the sun go down. There’s also a small quaint piazza a few minutes walk away from the water. At the top end and across the road, there is a pretty church. This is one of the most popular wedding destinations, many couples fly here to get their dream wedding. And I can understand why. I literally took thousands of picture of each and every alley, colored buildings, cards, trees and what not. However most of the narrow cobbled street led to a stairway and I was walking with a stroller. To find a way to the lake which didnt have any steps was a discovery in itself. Ofcourse I couldnt expect these old towns to be pram friendly (they are not meant to be).

[Uprasenjit]

Day 7 - Lake Como - The Wedding in Italy

The wedding was taking place at 4 pm. We got enough tanned the previous day hence we didn’t go out this morning. Instead, we enjoyed the pool which came with the Airbnb property.

Bengalis are always late and we were no exception. When we reached Villa Cipressi it was 4.20 PM and we were late. But not late enough to miss the wedding. All guests have gathered at the venue. The groom and his best man were standing at their position, by the priest and a wonderfully decorated flower gate. Everyone was waiting for the bride to arrive. There was a Monika Geller (you will know if you have watched F.R.I.E.N.D.S) who was keeping track of time and kept saying we were late. The place where the ceremony was taking place was decorated like a dream. The wedding gate was at the perfect location, at the end of the cliff (there was a railing). 3 ladies were playing violins. The aisle runner was white. Everything was perfect and now I know why she wanted her wedding so far from her own country.

And at this time the baby became cranky. He started crying (which later I understood was for hunger) and I had to leave the ceremony. While Rianka watched the wedding up close I watched it from afar. But nevertheless, it looked like a dream wedding. This was our first British (Oh the groom is from Liverpool) wedding and it is really like in the movies. The groom was waiting in his deep green 3-piece suit. First appeared the bridesmaids in their pink dresses. Then the bride came in her gorgeous white dress and a very very large veil. The veil was so large that 2 people were holding it so that it won't get stuck in the stones.
The bride’s father walked her to the groom and then the wedding began. The wedding was short but very intense. Everyone was quiet and listening to what the priest, groom, and bride had to say. Like in the movies the ceremony finished with exchanging rings, mixing soils from their countries, and kissing each other.

After the ceremony both the bride and groom went on a boat ride to spend some time alone. Even though there were really 30 guests I assume they needed time for themselves before they start interacting with others as a married couple for the first time. The food was great too. The rest of the time until dinner was spent interacting with people from different backgrounds, countries, etc. The villa had 3 levels and a large botanical garden. The courtyard was closed for the public due to the wedding. The bottom level was used for the ceremony. The middle one for drinks, snacks and socializing. The top or the front courtyard was for dinner.



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Dinner was served at 8. We were asked to go to our dedicated seats. They kindly provided a high chair too. There was a menu card with our names printed on it. It was a 4-course meal. However, we couldn’t wait till dessert. The 3rd course came around 9.30 PM and the baby was already bored by then. The speech started just before dessert. We couldn’t finish everyone’s speech and had to leave the party early. It was one of an experience we had. Very different from our Indian wedding in terms of where the priority lies. Coming so far for a wedding made total sense.

Bride and groom arriving for dinner


Menu card

[Uprasenjit]

Day 8 - Lake Como (Italy) to Paris (France) - The long drive

Now it was time to drive back. Lake Como to Paris was a very long drive. The distance was 900km and 9 hours drive as per google maps, so we knew it will take 12 hours with breaks. We woke up early, bags were already packed, had a little breakfast, and left Lake Como. This time instead of taking the ferry back to Menaggio I took a different route which wouldn’t go via Switzerland at all. This was supposed to save us time because we didn’t have to wait for the ferry, the Swiss roads were curvy and hence couldn’t do high speeds and a new route is always exciting.

This new route took us via the Chamonix area in France. We took the opportunity to stop and cook lunch at a very scenic parking with Mont Blanc in its background. Used the stove for the 2nd time in this trip to cook Maggi.

Saw a lot of Jimny in Alps region

We stopped a few times. The rest of the drive was pretty much the same. We listen to Sunday Suspense (An audible story/series broadcasts by Radio Mirchi Bangla). We reached Paris pretty much by 12 hours and parked on one of the most congested roads. Our Airbnb had a parking but the check-in process was very complicated. We had to go to the apartment first and get the keys to the parking. The parking had a height restriction of 1.9m and for the first time, I had to lower the car to cross the barrier.

I also was very proud of the baby today as he travelled 12 hours with us without much drama.

Paris welcomes us with tight parking space

[Uprasenjit]

Day 9-10 - Paris (France)

No more driving for thr next 2 days. It took me a lot of effort to park the car underground at -5 level with so much height restriction, and I know how difficult it is to park a car size of a Discovery in Paris. Our second time in Paris started with heavy rain. We were very late yesterday hence woke up late too. One of the reasons to stay in Paris was to meet an old friend. So, the day's plan was to go somewhere near to Eiffel Tower and meet this friend. Our apartment was in the 13th District which is quite far from Eiffel Tower. This wasn’t the apartment I booked but was an alternative apartment from the owner as she had water leaking issues. 13th District is like China town. A lot of Chinese people and Chinese restaurants.

Anyways, we got down before Bir Hakeem and started walking by the river. It was still raining. The baby slept and was taking a nap in his stroller. I met my friend in the afternoon. And we sat at a park by the river Siene. He also showed where Dianna's car was crashed and the most beautiful bridge in Paris i.e. Port Alexendre III. At sunset we came back to our apartment in an Uber.

From Pont Alexendre III

The last day our of euro trip was a little better in terms of weather but not great. We went to the other side of the city i.e. Notre Dame and walked towards Louvre. We have been to the museum before so the plan was only to walk by the river, find a café and have a coffee and possibly do some shopping. We entered Louis Vitton store just to get disappointed with the prices. Notre Dam was under construction. Port De Arc was closed due to work. All our plans to recreate memories from 2017 went in vain. There were a few roadside bookstores that intrigued me to buy a French version of Tintin. I may not understand the texts but it will be kept as a collection. Confused about what to eat we entered a Japanese restaurant. The Gyozas (momo) and chicken fry were very good, the rice curry reminded me of a local shop in my hometown. We came back early to our apartment as I had invited my friend for dinner. Thus finished off the final day of our euro road trip. Paris is terribly expensive for some reason.

[Uprasenjit]

Day 11 - Paris (France) to Ipswich (UK)

There isn’t much to write about the last day. It was mostly driving the car to Calais, taking the ferry to Dover, and driving back home. The security process is similar, 3 step process. While returning our BRPs were checked. We also got the previous shuttle because we reached early thus saving an hour. We reached home at 8.30 pm covering 3500+ km.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=cl_6uJWvYzE

A video of entering into Euro Shuttle

The log has been quite long and I think I should now finish by saying a few words-

• We got tanned heavily in Italy but it made us happy. All of us enjoyed every bit of the road trip. I can say that except for the weather everything went according to plan. We are glad that we decided to attend the wedding and decided to stay in Paris to meet my friend.
• The Landrover performed over expectation. I know it costs me to do the maintenance but I can say it's worth it. On none of the days of long driving any of us had any back ache. The fatigue was less. It can also be due to the roads but I am sure the Discovery has a part. I can now proudly say we made a good decision to buy this Landrover. The boot space was so useful I can't describe it.
• The family supported me a lot during the long drives. While we have a tab attached to the front headrest for the child to watch Cocomelon we understand long journeys are sometimes frustrating for children. So plan properly with buffer time in hand. We let the baby out and run whenever we had any chance. Otherwise who wants to sit in the backseat for so long? At the end of the trip the baby was fond of our car and now wants to sit in it whenever he sees it. And shouts “Caaa”.
• I think another important thing is not to be time-bound. I know it is not always possible but traveling with a child can/will delay your journey.
• France and Switzerland are expensive. Plan accordingly. We saved some money by cooking ourselves at least one meal per day.
• Road quality in France and Swiss is much better than in the UK. The road tax is justified.
• Summer is the best time to visit France and Switzerland. Italy I am not sure, last time we were in Rome during summer we couldn’t be outside during the day.

Selfie after reaching home. The baby was sleeping at that time.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Samba]

A very sweet travelogue. Rated 5*.

The photographs are breathtaking. The Discovery 3 can't look any better than posing in the picturesque locations of countryside Switzerland!
The pics from Lake Como, Italy or the traditional pics in front of the Eiffel tower looks equally enchanting.
Loved reading about the wedding part in Italy. It was indeed a perfect one!

Thanks for sharing the small yet significant details which will definitely help the first timers to plan a similar trip in a much effortless way.

Last, but not the least, You, Rianka & Aitijhya, all three of you have pulled out this trip in a seamless way. I was already viewing the beautiful Instagram pics/reels shared by you & Rianka before this travelogue came up. Wish all three of you more such lovely trips in the future, after-all you guys have a one year validity for your visa! So expecting few more travelogues within a year!

[raptor_diwan]

Absolutely loved your travelogue! Especially loved the pictures of the beautiful car you were driving. It must have been an amazing experience to drive through all of those wonderful places.