Introduction to DIY travel by car in France and Europe

Dear fellow travellers,
Objective of this blog

It is written as a guide for travellers who love to DIY travel by car, to visit France and Europe easily and enjoy this country, France.

I speak French, but you don't have to lose out, for French people are pretty nice and I have outlined some interesting places for you to discover.

My guide is not on Paris nor did I drive in Paris. It's to discover other parts of France, beyond the big cities. In fact, I would discourage people from driving in Paris, as you would be frustrated by the traffic jams, expensive parking, etc...not to mention that Paris is visited easily via public transport. Their métro(subway) system is very good and efficient and brings you to all the places you want to see.

I have also listed our favorite food in France in "what to eat ?"...Most of the time, we would prefer to cook, ie why we have chosen to stay in Airbnb homes for our travel. It's also our first experience staying in such homes in Europe. We also tend to stay longer in a place and move around that place, as we dislike the hassle of moving our suitcases.

We do not generally visit monuments or places of historical interest. We are there for walks, food and shopping (for my wife). Therefore, we tend to visit local markets (marché in French) whenever possible, and also supermarkets. The marché is normally not opened everyday, but it's possible to find a market on any particular day in a region.

If you're interested in Japan, you can also read my blog at DIY travel by car in Shikoku and Japan.

email : sunnymuguet@gmail.com

How to choose Airbnb accommodation in Europe

Indeed, what are our criteria ?
     Based on our experiences :

1. Availability of Free WIFI

2. Free parking on-site

Parking is expensive in the city.

3. Entire Home/appartment

It would also be good if the host is living nearby and not miles away, because if you need help, calling the host is not really a good option because you wouldn't want to spend money on an international call. If you have purchased a local SIM card for travel, then this should not be a factor.

4. Fully equipped kitchen (preferably with conventional oven)

• When you see fresh seafood, beef, meat or vegetables in the market, seafood shop or supermarket, well...you may want to try your hand at cooking it your own way. 
• We usually order 1 meal to share for 2 in a restaurant. Continental food is alright to try but it's heavy for us, so it's good to cook 1or 2 meals a day.
• Why the conventional oven ? If you want to grill your seafood and eat it naturally just seasoned with salt, well the oven is helpful. There are also walnuts, hazelnuts, etc... that you can try.

5. Washer, dryer, dishwasher if possible.

• This will take the hassle out of your daily cooking or laundry and leave you to enjoy your travel.

6. A lift.

• If you have suitcases to carry, a lift is definitely worth considering, especially in a low-rise accommodation. If it's a house with 2 storeys, it would be better to leave the suitcases on the ground level, if possible.

7. Heating, if you're going during the colder months.

• You may want to check with the host if heating is turned on or if heaters are available in all the rooms.
• When we went in Oct, the daily temperature varies from 4 to 16 deg C. The host may not turn on heating or turn it on minimally, as heating is expensive in Europe. Europeans may only turn on heating in the bedroom at night when they sleep. In the daytime, they wear enough clothes to keep themselves warm inside. So you will find the accommodation and bathroom pretty cold without heating.
• If there is a fireplace, you could buy firewood from the supermarket to burn wood for fun or to keep warm.

8. Non smoking.

     Budget of course will play a part in your choice of the Airbnb. Using Airbnb is the best alternative option if you want a kitchen, as compared to an Appart-Hotel, where the kitchen facilities are minimal. Cost savings will be more if you want to stay in a higher class hotel. It all depends of course on what you are looking for in an accommodation.

Airbnb issues you should take note

Indeed, things that you want to know but Airbnb doesn't tell you. Airbnb is not at all transparent in its documentation.

1. Airbnb hotline.

• Try searching for one on the internet and you will never find it.

2. Airbnb helpdesk.

• Try emailing them a message is the same as 1. There is no such menu item in the Airbnb interface, whether in PC or mobile version.
• If you need to report a problem, you have to use your mobile phone and keep exhausting the options presented by Airbnb until finally you can type a message to helpdesk.

3. Airbnb hell. 

• There is a whole website dedicated to people having Airbnb issues.
• Read through it and you will be scared off to attempt using Airbnb.

4. Airbnb undocumented.

• If the host has a problem with your reservation and informs you that it would be cancelled, let the host do it. Do not cancel the reservation on your side as it is understood you wanted to cancel and therefore you will be charged an Airbnb booking fee.
• Once the cancellation is done by your host, you will be informed and Airbnb will give you 2 options : either get a refund immediately, or use it together with a bonus credit given to you to offset the next Airbnb booking.

5. Airbnb hotline (US) - (correct as Oct 2016)

• US toll free: +1-855-424-7262

6. Airbnb hotline (Singapore) - (correct as Oct 2016)

• +65 6622 7306 
• +1800 723 1238 (toll-free)
 

How to choose car rental in Europe

What are our criteria ?
     Based on our experiences :

1. Automatic car.

• In Europe, it's left-hand driving, as compared to right-hand driving for Singapore. So having an automatic car saves you quite a hassle in adapting to a left-hand drive.

2. Check the no of free kms given per day of car rental. 

• Depending on the distance you will cover, you will need to take these into consideration. The usual no. given by car rental companies is about 250 km/day, and if you exceed the total given over the duration of your rental, you will have to pay per km.
• The no. given is usually enough, unless you are doing a lot of travelling over long distances.

3. The sizing of the car.

• Depending on your needs and suitcases, you have to determine what kind of car you need to transport everyone and the luggage.

4. The location of the car rental company at the airport.

• If it's at the airport terminal, very good.
• If it's off-site, you might want to consider a car rental company that's on-site since you don't want to lug your suitcases just to get your rental car. It will not be that convenient moving from point A to point B overseas.
• Some people actually advise against getting rental car at the airport as it's more expensive. So imagine you arrive at the airport and that to get to your rental office downtown, where it may be cheaper, you still have to make your way there with your family and your suitcases. Why the hassle and the inconvenience ?
• When people say it's expensive, you also have to take it with a pinch of salt. Where do they get their prices, from which website, car rental supplier, etc. ? Are we talking about apples and apples ?

5. Paying option to reduce excess.

• This depends on your travel insurance coverage for excess and how comfortable you are with its coverage.

6. Paying cross-border fee.

• Some car rental companies charge a daily fee, so it's expensive and it doesn't make sense.
• With rentalcars.com, and subsequently the rental company Global Drive, I paid only 20€ for the entire trip.

7. Renting a GPS with the rental company

• It's costly and charged per day.
• The GPS may not be intuitive enough to use or good in giving navigational instructions. For example, for the car rental from Frankfurt, it was a very hi-tech car and equipped with a GPS. However, we abandoned it quickly as it does not tell you properly how to navigate in certain complex areas. We switched quickly to our Garmin GPS to continue.

8. Where to book ?

• rentalcars.com
• EconomyBookings.com
• Read car rental reviews on the internet. There will always be positive and negative reviews, so be prepared to avoid pitfalls when renting a car.

9. Personal Experiences.

• In my experiences with Europe or Australia, I have never booked directly online with Avis, Budget, etc... because they do not offer good prices.

At Paris CDG

• We used EconomyBookings.com.
• We took an option to reduce our excess to zero, and even then it was cheap, and also because it was also our first time driving in Europe.
• At Paris CDG, we had to ask and move around to find the car rental company Enterprise after getting our luggage, but it was not far.
• No issues with Enterprise after we returned home.

At Frankfurt Airport

• We used rentalcars.com.
• We took up an option with rentalcars.com to reduce our excess to zero, and even then it didn't cost much.
• We hired a car with unlimited kms, which is not available on their website, but which we negotiated with their helpdesk.
• At Frankfurt Airport, most of the car rental companies are located at Terminal 2, so once you get your luggage, it's convenient. Note that the car rental company CARO is not on-site.
• We had booked our car for 1300 hrs. When we went to the Global Drive (Buchbinder) counter at 1200 hrs, we were informed that our car wasn't ready, and that a bigger car at additional 10€ a day was available. Well, we waited.
• They would swipe your credit card for a deposit, to protect their excess coverage, if you did not buy this coverage from them.
• When we finally retrieved our car in the basement parking lot, we realised that we had been given a much bigger car, not the compact car that I had booked.
• What we deduced is that they didn't have the car we wanted and that they weren't kind nor gracious enough to let me have the bigger car upgrade at no additional cost.
• After returning home, Buchbinder returned us the deposit, however with a deduction for extra mileage (ours was for unlimited mileage) and cross-border fees (which was already paid upon getting our car). We are now disputing with them to refund us the actual amount.

Update : After providing Buchbinder with our car rental voucher from rentalcars.com and disputing the double charge on the cross-border fees, they finally refunded us the intial 1100€ deposit after 2 weeks.

• In countries like Australia, normally, the car rental company would offer you an upgrade car if the car requested is not available, at no extra cost.

How to minimise car rental "rip-offs" or "scams"

     Would a car rental company rip you off or "scam" you ? Quite unthinkable and unbelievable right ? Well, if you read enough of car rental reviews from the internet or even Tripadvisor forums, there are endless cases of such "rip-offs". But it's not outright cheating you, that's the problem. It happens only after you return to your homeland when you see your credit card being charged. Remember, they swipe your credit card to have a deposit to offset the possible "excess" charge, before you drive your car away for your holiday.

     Typical cases are :

1. A full tank of fuel to pay for, because you "have forgotten" to top up to full tank
2. A different amount for your car rental from your car rental voucher
3. A repair charge for some car "damage"

    Every car rental company Budget, Avis, Thrifty, etc has had its fair share of "rip-offs". Does it mean that we avoid these companies ? From my experiences (written in the next post) : 

1. For Australia, I have had only 1 "rip-off" by Thrifty out of more than 15 car rentals.
2. For Japan, I have driven there 4 times already. None simply because they don't do rip-offs.
3. For Europe, none by Entreprise car rental in France and the "rip-off" by Buchbinder in Germany has been settled.

    So how do we protect ourselves from such fraudulent claims or to minimise such problems ? I have outlined a checklist below to help minimise our own "damages" :

At the car rental counter (to take your car) 

1.  Present the booking voucher at the car rental company, together with your International Driving Permit and your local car licence.

2.  If you decline the car excess insurance they want you to buy, they will swipe your credit card for a deposit to cover for car excess. It's good to have your phone on at this time to have a banking alert via SMS to see if a monetary transaction has just taken place from this company.

• For Australia, no deposit is really taken, they just swipe it to have your credit card details.
• For France, with Entreprise car rental, same as Australia.
• For Germany, with Global Drive car rental, a deposit is taken rightaway.
• For Japan, no deposit is taken.

3. In some rental companies in Europe, they will insist to see proof of your other insurance coverage for this excess, otherwise they will insist upon you paying the excess insurance coverage per day. Reminder to read the terms and conditions of the rental car company you booked with.

4.  If additional driver, check for the additional rental charges.

5.  Is it a fuel or diesel car ?

6.  Sign the rental agreement. Check the amount against your booking voucher.

7.  Pay in cash if possible (if not previously paid  for or deducted via credit card).

8.  Collect car key.

9.  Ask for emergency breakdown tel. no.

10. You will then proceed to the car park area to find your car. Meticulously examine your car before driving away from the rental company. Have any damages, regardless of how small, listed in writing. This is important! You don’t want to be charged for damage done by someone else. If something is not right, insist for a change.

Check the following :

• brakes, rear brake light
• headlights, high beam light
• right signal light, left signal, hazard light
• heating, aircon
• front wipers, back wipers
• wheels
• full tank
• deep dents or heavy scrapes not indicated on the agreement form
• windscreen clear of deep scratches or marks

11.Take photos from all sides.

12. Put GPS mount, charger and the GPS.

13. Once you are out of the car park or if you can receive a GPS signal, save the current position so you can return to the car rental car park easily.

For Japan

14. Learn how to set to "avoid tolls" – 无料

15. Learn how to set Map Code coordinates.

NB : Always take note of the local police and ambulance phone nos.

• Western Australia : 000 for emergency
• EU : 112
• Japan : police – 110, fire & ambulance – 119

Returning the Car

1.  Top up to full tank before reaching the car rental car park.

2.  Remove GPS mount, charger and GPS.

3.  Take photos of full tank, mileage.

4.  Take photos from all sides.

5.  At the car rental counter, if nobody is around, or you pick up the phone and you are asked to drop the car key in the drop box, write clearly on the agreement that nobody was around to check the car. Take a photo of the agreement and return it together with the car key. 

• This happens quite often at Australia car rental companies or when you return at odd hours, ie non office hours.
• For Japan, you can only return the car during office hours. That means they want to check your car. I never have had to do any of the above checklist because the Japanese are highly professional.
• For France Entreprise car rental, they checked my car. Same as for Germany Global Drive. I guess I returned it during office hours.

My experiences with car rental "rip-offs" or "scams"

Experience with Thrifty in Australia

1. For this car rental, I booked with FastCarHire.
2. At the Thrifty car rental counter pick-up, I was shown a different amount, slightly higher than the one on my booking voucher.
3. The staff looked confused but said anyway that she would honour mine. I can't remember if I paid cash or credit card, for the amount shown on my booking voucher. But I signed the car agreement for the amount stipulated on my voucher. Anyway, we didn't think much about it and we went off on our holidays.
4. After our return, there was a charge by Thrifty for the extra amount of AUD399 that we didn't pay. There begins our dispute with Thrifty.
5. I reported to UOB credit card that I would dispute this amount. The staff wasn't helpful. They said that it's was alright for the car rental to charge me since it's indicated on any car rental agreement that the final sum could vary, due to damages or other possibilities. I told them that it wasn't so in my case and therefore I had to insist on disputing this claim. Since it's considered a "fraudulent" transaction, I was then asked to cancel this credit card and that they would issue me a new card replacement.
6. I was then asked to explain my dispute, which was as in (2) and (3) above and I submitted my Fastcarhire booking voucher to UOB.
7. Subsequently, UOB came back with a response from Thrifty. I was asked to settle the amount if I did not dispute the response, which claimed that I was supposed to pay the rest of the rental of AUD399 upon returning my car at the Thrifty counter.
8. My subsequent response to the dispute was : (a) the agreement I signed for was for AUD648. (b) if the car rental company did not agree with my car rental voucher booking, they would have issued another car agreement stipulating the amount they want to charge. (c) Even if they had wanted to charge me a higher amount, I would have disagreed to take up the car rental, and gone to another car rental agency. There are 4 more agencies at the airport. (d) No customer in his right mind, would sign any car rental agreement, only to know that the car rental agency would charge them higher, at whatever price they want later, afterwards, saying that the car hire charges are different.
9. Thrifty didn't want to back down from their claim, so I was asked by UOB to reconsider settling paying. Otherwise, this dispute would be taken to the Visa Worldwide Arbitration Committee, whereby it would be settled, and whichever party lost, they would have to pay an admin fee of 500USD.
10. Well, finally, Thrifty lost and I gained a lot of useful experience from this episode.

NB : 

• From then onwards, I will no longer use FastCarHire, as I wrote to them about my dispute, but I did not receive any response from them.
• I have been using drivenow.com.au for all the rest of my car rental needs. They are reliable and they respond to your queries.

Experience with Buchbinder/Global Drive in Frankfurt in Germany

1. I booked with Rentalcars.com. I had negotiated for unlimited mileage, automatic, compact(size) car, and full protection for my excess with rentalcars.com at the time of booking.
2. Upon arrival at Global Drive counter at 1200 hrs, I was informed my car wasn't ready(my collection time at 1300hrs). However, they would let me have a bigger car by paying an extra 10€ a day. My rental was for a month, so I'd have to fork out an extra 300€. No way, so we waited.
3. Rentalcars has already deducted the money from my credit card, so at Global Drive, they swiped my credit card for a deposit, as I did not buy the excess insurance from them but from Rentalcars. I also had to pay a cross-border fee plus some taxes together with the deposit. My phone SMS showed me that the amount deducted was as charged.
4. At the car park below the airport terminal, we then saw our huge rental car, a Ford Explorer type, hi-tech, GPS, sensor all-round, instead of a Ford Focus compact car. We would realise later that Global Drive was not gracious nor kind enough to give us this car rightaway, and wanted us to pay for it.
5. The in-car GPS unit was not as intuitive as our Garmin, so we discarded it almost immediately.
6. We regretted not using our Garmin to save our position at the car rental, as upon our return, the Frankfurt airport signage for car rental is really bad. Their in-car GPS unit also did not have the car rental car park as its home position.
7. Upon our return, our car was checked, I got a copy of the agreement and so we returned home happily.
8. Unfortunately, Buchbinder did not refund us the full deposit. They deducted for extra mileage incurred, and my cross-border fee a 2nd time.
9. So I had to write to their email hotline, stating my case, and also enclosing my rental voucher with rentalcars.com. Rentalcars has a very comprehensive detailed voucher, stating what's there, your requested car, with the deposit of 1100€ and unlimited mileage clearly stated at the top right.
10. I waited 1 week, no response. So I had to email them again for an update. In my email, I did not vent my frustration nor anger. I simply stated my case in the first email and in the 2nd, I asked for an update.
11. I got my correct refund a few days later.

Lesson learnt

• So was it a scam or rip-off ? Hard to say, as I have read other bad reviews of Buchbinder whereby they did not get their refund or claim.
• All I can say is that do the car hire checklist as mentioned in the other post "How to minimise car rental scams or rip-offs", and it could protect you from all these monetary nuisances.

Flights

Choice of Airline Carrier

1. For our first trip, we chose Air France , as we were travelling only in France.
2. For the 2nd trip, we travelled in Germany, Switzerland, France and Luxembourg. We decided to book with KLM based on cost. Our national carrier SQ, code share with Lufthansa, would cost us both about S$3200, whereas KLM cost us about S$2500. We had to however buy an extra luggage at about $200, because KLM which offers only 1 free check-in luggage as compared to SQ which offers 2.
3. For the 1st leg with KLM, as it is code share with Air France, it was a AF flight to Paris. The luggage goes straight to Frankfurt and you are free to shop at Paris CDG. Allow 2-3 hours transit time to catch the flight Paris-Frankfurt. There is no refreshment meal on this latter AF flight. 
4. On the return leg, we were with KLM itself. There is refreshment meal on board Frankfurt-Amsterdam flight. Allow 2-3 hours for transit at Amsterdam to catch your flight home.
5. AF flight entertainment and food were better than KLM. The AF equipment was touchscreen and newer. Both crew service were equally good.

Europe itinerary

For my travel itinerary, please click Itinerary Map.

Summary of Attractions/Activities

1. Rhine Valley, Bacharach, Germany
2. Black Forest, Feldberg, Germany
3. Lake Schluchsee, Germany
4. Top of Europe, Switzerland
5. Schilthorn, Switzerland
6. Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland
7. Factory Outlet McArthurGlen at Troyes, France
8. Le Havre, France
9. Etretat, France
10. Le Treport, France
11. The Rose Granite Coast at Perros Guirec, France
12. Mullerthal Trails, Luxembourg

Introduction to the Swiss Bernese Alps

Introduction

The furthest point up in the mountain reachable by car is Lauterbrunnen and Stechelberg, and Grindelwald. A single road leads to these destinations from Interlaken, and after reaching Lauterbrunnen, Stechelberg is just a few minutes away by car further up on the same road.

Stechelberg is the access point for cable car lift up to Schilthorn.
Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald both offer you access via train or cable car to visit the Swiss mountains.

Which mountain peaks ?
The 2 most famous peaks are Jungfrau and Schilthorn.

Jungfrau : 4158m
Schilthorn : 2970m

The Swiss train Jungfraubahn will take you up from Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch, the highest train station at 3454m.

A cable car lift will take you up from Stechelberg to Schilthorn.

There are also 2 famous peaks beside Jungfrau : Eiger and Monch, which you will see when doing some of the mountain walks.

Jungfrau Travel Pass
If you intend to go up the Swiss mountains from Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald, then it's the only Travel Pass you need. There's 3, 4, 5 or 6 day pass. The 3D Pass alone is already value for money if you want to do only these 2 destinations. If you take up a 4D pass or more, you might have to calculate a bit more, depending on your destination in the Alps.
The Travel Pass can be bought easily at any Tourist Office or at the Lauterbrunnen train station, so buy it on the spot just before you do any of these peaks.

When to go ?
It's not opened throughout the year, and operational from May to Oct if you are not going for skiing. For Oct, the first 2 weeks are pretty safe. It's probably closed from the last week of Oct until the skiing season starts. For the exact dates in May or Oct if you are going, you might have to check with the tourist office.

Checking the weather
The cost of going up is not that cheap, and if the weather is not good ie cloudy or raining, you will not really enjoy these peaks and their beauty. So check the weather forecast daily and attempt these peaks only if it's sunny or mostly sunny.

Parking
At all these 3 destinations, paid parking is easily available. But of course, I went in the off-peak season in October, so I can't say. The parking rates are stated clearly on the website, but you have really no choice but to park your car there.
I chose to park at Lauterbrunnen for both my visits to Top of Europe and Schilthorn. The reason is because I chose to buy the Jungfrau Travel Pass for 3 days, and with it, a discount to go up to Schilthorn via Lauterbrunnen, and also because of the walks at Mannlichen that I've chosen (see those sections).
The multi-storey carpark at Lauterbrunnen is also situated right beside the train station, so it's very convenient.

Choice of Accommodation
Understanding all how it works above helps you to plan where to stay. Interlaken is only 18 mins away from Lauterbrunnen by car, and if you choose the Lakes area, Lake Thun or Lake Brienz, it's also a good choice. So as long as you are not too far away from Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald by car, you can jolly well choose something not too expensive and yet do the Swiss Alps.
There are those who recommend staying at Murren or places further up the mountain above Lauterbrunnen. But for drivers, these points are not accessible by car, so it's moot.

Where we stayed
We chose to stay up in the hills at Aeschi bei Spiez, a 40 min drive from Lauterbrunnen and commanding a good view over the lakes, at about 750m above sea level.

Jungfrau or Top of Europe

Introduction

The trip up to Top of Europe is best combined with the Royal Walk at Mannlichen and the walk from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg(KS). Why ?

What was perhaps not clear from the Internet is that the Swiss train Jungfraubahn train leaves from KS to Top of Europe and returns to KS.

So when combined with these walks in the morning, you could then have a relaxing time taking the train up to Jungfraujoch to finish up your day in the afternoon, making it a full-day outing.

Mannlichen Royal Walk
Degree of difficulty : medium
Estimated Time : 1hr
This is a loop walk from the Wengen-Mannlichen cable car station to the Mannlichen peak.

From Lauterbrunnen, we took a train to Wengen. There, once we left the station, we could see the cable car lift opposite so we walked across the road and headed for the direction sign Mannlichen.
The cable car ride is short and takes about 5-6 mins. Exit the station and walk towards the left and you can see a golden crown beckoning you, hence the name "Royal Walk".
Although it's indicated on the signboard 20 mins, it's uphill all the way with a steep ascent towards the end...so going slowly would take you about 30 mins.
Once at the Crown, the view is superbe all round and of course you can see the 3 peaks of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau.
The descent was definitely faster.

Mannlichen to KS walk
Degree of difficulty : easy
Estimated Time : 2 hrs
This is a really easy walk as it descends gradually and winds down into the valley. So if you begin this walk in the morning, you could make it around lunch time at KS, and then proceed to Top of Europe.

Once you come down from the Royal Crown walk, look towards the right and you will not fail to see the other cable car station (Mannlichen-Grindelwald). Just follow directional signs for KS.
On a bright day, at about 15°C, with beautiful views of the 3 peaks, Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau...well...what more could one ask for ?

There is a toilet stop along the way, a restaurant 10 mins away from Kleine Scheidegg and of course 1 or 2 more restaurants right at KS itself.

Jungfrau
At KS station, look out for the sign Jungfraujoch either in yellow or green. Follow yellow queue if you have no seat reservation, otherwise follow green. It was a bit crowded even in Oct but we were fortunate to have seats.
The Jungfraubahn train is a bright red train with some horizontal yellow stripes painted on its sides.
The train journey takes about 50 mins, and that's also because it stops 1 to 5 mins at each of the 3 train stations before Jungfraujoch, for travellers to get down and take photos through high glass windows. It is because the upper part of the railway is constructed in a tunnel, so the train stops allow us to take photos.
At the top, follow the direction of the Tour sign in blue. There is an elevator to go up to the Sphinx, the viewing platform over Europe. Here it can get crowded if you run into tour groups.

To get away from the crowds, follow sign 6 or Monchsjoch Hut. We stepped out into the open, right onto the snow and walked along this trail to enjoy the scenery and the peaceful serenity. It's quite a long walk to the Hut - café, so we didn't attempt it.
Words cannot describe simply being on Top of the world, at 3454m.

Finally, we had the Jungfrau Travel Pass, so we only needed to top up 59CHF per person.

NB : Due to the length of the train journey and the waiting time at the KS station, you will need to start your ascent around 2 pm. The last train from Jungfraujoch is at 5.30 pm in Oct, so that will give you an idea of the time you have up there.

Schilthorn or James Bond Peak

Introduction
Going up to Schilthorn is via 1 single cable car. The starting point is at Stechelberg, and you keep changing cars firstly at Murren, later at Birg, before finally reaching the top. The single cable car also means a maximum number of passengers can be lifted at any one time. This means that you will spend time waiting for the transfer, and it also depends on the crowd.

Jungfrau Travel Pass holders
However for holders of the Jungfrau Travel Pass, your starting point is at Lauterbrunnen. The Pass will enable you to go up for free until Murren. You then pay to top up the section Murren to Schilthorn. It's a 25% discount off, ie you pay 60CHF per person for this section. You pay this ticket only when you reach the Murren-Schilthorn cable car station.

At Lauterbrunnen train station, you cross the road to a blue building to take the cable car to Grutschalp. A 1-wagon train then took us up to Murren.
We then had to follow direction sign for Schilthornbahn : we turned towards the left from the Murren station and literally walked across almost the entire village to the cable car station.

Schilthorn
The lift stops at Birg, for the Skyline walk, and then you transfer to another cable car for Schilthorn. We went up first to Schilthorn, where there is an outside viewing platform all round to admire the Alps.
The view is absolutely stunning and every picture, every view is postcard perfect, on a beautiful day !
We then descended to Birg, and tried the Skyline Walk and Thrill Walk. This is not for those who are afraid of heights as you can see literally the landscape under your feet , either thru the stairs, the metallic floor or glass floor. The Skyline Walk is built all around the station, whereas for the Thrill Walk, you are walking over a tight rope with a see-through glass right beneath the rope.
This is a really fun and exciting walk around Schilthorn's peak.
Kudos to the Swiss !
The last part of the Skyline walk is on gravel and slightly steep to go back to the cable car station, so take time to return.

Conclusion
For holders of the Jungfrau Travel Pass, it's a good outing, as you get to visit Murren, either on the way to or returning from Schilthorn, and you get 25% off the ticket price from Murren. You need to plan for more time due to the train and cable car transfers and the crowd. You will need easily half a day or more for the entire outing.

The Lauterbrunnen Valley and Waterfalls

Staubbach Falls was our destination for our morning cum afternoon walk in the Lauterbrunnen valley. We stopped by the tourist office at Lauterbrunnen, got us a map and drove to the Stechelberg parking.

Find a parking lot immediately after entry. You could hear the river flowing on your right if you face the Stechelberg ticketing office. Make your way to the middle of the parking towards the river and cross a tiny bridge over to the left bank of the river to begin the walk.

This is a really easy walk, beside the river and along a road that is rarely used by vehicles and shared amongst walkers, cyclists and cars. It's very gradual and little ups and downs.
We started about 1035am and reached the falls at about 12 noon.

The path to the fall is a ground track cut into shallow wide steps and is fairly steep, but not a long path. Walking sticks are provided at the beginning for those who need.
After a man made tunnel, we started climbing stairs to reach the top. The whole way is a bit wet due to water dripping.
At the top, we found ourselves behind the falls and it's literally "raining over our heads", but we didn't get wet. We spent some time up in the falls and then returned to our base.

The path is well-signposted and you could reach Trummelbach falls or even Lauterbrunnen.

It was such a beautiful day and we enjoyed the wonderful scenery provided for us by Lauterbrunnen valley and Mother Nature.

les falaises d'Etretat (the cliffs of Etretat)

The cliffs of Etretat are very famous, the walks right on top of the cliffs are great and they stretch for miles, really wonderful for a good stroll. It's only 30 mins away from Le Havre by car.

This is our 2nd time here, not surprisingly, just to feel the greatness again but at sunset this time.

We came here around 5.45 pm. Like many said, the parking right next to the beach is pretty small. But it was relatively empty perhaps due to the late hour and low season now.
A TripAdvisor member mentioned about free parking up north in a church for drivers, so that's a 2nd alternative parking.

The paid parking here is from 7am to 7pm. The first 30 mins is free.

For those who intend to walk up on the cliffs either north or south and return, it's good to anticipate an easy 3 to 4 hours. Once you climb up, the rest is flat and easy, and you just enjoy the view and the scenery.

Just don't stray off the path. We saw a tourist taking a selfie on an overhanging cliff rock off the path and she was alone...Well...

We came to see the sunset this time and we are still awed by its beauty.

Many local French men could be seen fishing off the stone beach, catching mackerel, garfish or bream.

Don't miss this eternal and majestic wonder of nature !

Le Tréport (walks and visit of the covered market)

The cliffs at Le Tréport are not so famous as Etretat, but the town boasts a free funicular ride, wonderful views over the town and bay, cliff walks and a seafood covered market. It's about 2h drive away from Le Havre.

Where else in the world do you get to ride in a free funicular lift ? Only right here at Le Treport in France.

2ndly, you get to operate it yourself : Press Monter to go up or Descendre to go down. The lift can probably fit about 8 people and the lift ride takes only a few seconds.

3rdly, you get a wonderful view over Treport, the bay and the cliffs at the other side.

4thly, you also get to walk on the cliffs. It's flat, on grass and great to feel the breeze and enjoy the sunlight as you walk.

Finally, for those who drive, just park for free at the big parking outside the seafood covered market and stroll over to the funicular.

For those adventurous people, walk up 365 steps to the top. The starting point is at the left end of the road when you face the funicular.

La Poissonnerie Municipale (Seafood covered market)
100 Quai François 1er, 76470 Le Tréport, France
Closed Tue, everyday from 9h to 18h30

NB : This market's seafood is not as fresh and cheap as the one we prefer in Le Havre.

Walking along the coast at Le Havre

It's not a beautiful beach to go to, mainly gravel, but on a beautiful day, you will see many people walking along this stretch of road Boulevard Clemenceau hugging the coastline at Le Havre.

There are also two seawalls enclosing the marina, which you could walk on at sunrise or sunset.

Where to park 
There's quite a huge free parking area just opposite the Tourist Office of Le Havre at Boulevard Clemenceau :
Office du Tourisme
186 Boulevard Clemenceau, 76600 Le Havre, France

Shopping in Le Havre

Shopping Centres
There are 3 main shopping centres in Le Havre and neither one of them is big.

1. Docks Vauban
70, quai Frissard
76600 Le Havre
Mon – Sun : 10h – 20h
Free parking from 17h30 in the evening and all day on weekends. Validate your ticket with the reception.
2hrs free, for all purchases. Validate your ticket with the shop.

2. Centre Commercial Grand Cap, ZAC du mont Gaillard, Avenue du Bois au Coq,
76620 Le Havre, France
Tel. 02 35 54 71 71
Mon - Sat : 08h30 to 21h30, closed on Sun
Free parking
Centre Commercial : Shopping Centre
Within, there's a huge supermarket called Auchan Le Havre.

NB : With Garmin, I was unable to input this address, except for Avenue du Bois au Coq. But it's a long road, so head north, away from the city and you will find it.

3. Centre Commercial Espace Coty
22 Rue Casimir Périer, 76600 Le Havre, France
Tel : +33 2 32 74 86 87
Mon - Sat : 9AM–8PM, closed on Sun
Underground paid parking
Printemps and Darty(electronics store) are beside the shopping centre. Within is a small supermarket called Monoprix.

Supermarkets
Carrefour, E Leclerc, Super U, Intermarché are some of the common supermarkets. Some are big, usually found in the outskirts while those in the city area area are much smaller.

Le marché aux poissons au Havre (Seafood market at Le Havre)

Le marché aux poissons
Adresse : Quai de l'île, 76600 Le Havre
Opening hrs : everyday, except Sun, from 7 am to 12 noon

This is a row of open-air fish stalls of fishermen who make their living presumably still in the Atlantic Ocean.
We have never tested their opening hours so early nor so late. We usually turn up about 9+ to 10+. Being too late means sometimes that you don't get what is available.

This place is our mecca of seafood. We came by 3 days out of 6, and would have been here everyday, if not for my wife's illness during our stay.

The seafood is very fresh, and sometimes the catch just comes in, as the fish or lobsters are alive and kicking. 

What to buy here
lobster
crab (tourteau)
scallop
turbot
"bar"
mackerel
and other seafood you may fancy

Where to park
There is an open-space paid parking quite near it.

Place des Halles Centrales, 76600 Le Havre (Central Market)

Covered market hall
Opening hrs : Mon-Sat, morning and afternoon
Sun morning only : open-air market surrounding the hall 

We have never tested their opening hours. In general, 9am to 12 noon or 2 to 5pm is safe.

This market hall has a good variety of shops : fruits and veg, fishmonger, charcuterie or butcher shop, etc....
Within, there is also a supermarket called U Express.

The fishmonger shop Poissonnerie Normande will open and pack nicely the oysters for you, if you buy from them.

NB : Charcuterie is a unique food in France, encompassing pâté, fois gras, saucisse, saucisson, jambon, etc...

List of other possible attractions to see in Normandie around Le Havre

1. Fécamp
coastal town, north of Le Havre, 45 mins away by car

• We wanted to take a walk on the cliffs, but it was not easily accessible from the town, unlike Etretat. We were told to head north towards a lighthouse, called Cap Fagnet. On Google Map, it's right along Route du Phare, or D79, and very near it is a church called Chapelle Notre Dame du Salut.

2. Honfleur
coastal town, south-east of Le Havre on the other bank of the Seine river, 30 mins away by car via toll bridge "le pont de Normandie", toll costs about 5.40€ one-way

La Côte de Granit Rose en Bretagne (The Rose Granite Coast in Brittany, France)

The Rose Granite Coast is located on the northern coast of Brittany from Plestin-les-Grèves to Louannec. It's unusual due to its pink sands and rock formations. It stretches for miles along the coast.

You can access the walk from many places, for example, Ploumanac'h, Perros-Guirec, Trégastel, etc. If need be, proceed to the Tourist Office first for info.

La Phare de Ploumanac'h (Lighthouse of Ploumanac'h)
Set your GPS for this particular hotel which is right by the beach of St-Guirec :
Hotel St Guirec et de la Plage
162 Rue Saint-Guirec, 22700 Perros-Guirec, France

Park at a big parking square before you reach the hotel.
Then head towards the beach and walk towards the north with the hotel on your right. This path will lead you right to the lighthouse of Ploumanac'h.

Walk along the beach at St Michel en Greve, Bretagne, France

This is a huge bay stretching from Locquirec in the west to Trédrez-Loquémeau in the east. At low tide, you can literally walk in the bay or along the beach, as it is really flat.

Enjoy the beauty at sunrise or sunset along the beach !

Where to park
Just head for St Michel en Greve towards the direction of Locquirec and immediately after passing this village you will see parking lots. You can of course choose to park at other places along route 786 to walk this coastline.

Markets and Supermarkets around Lannion, Bretagne, France

Market at Lannion
Market Day : Thurs (am & pm)
The biggest market is at Lannion on Thurs in town. The food market lasts till about 1 pm, whereas the non-food market continues in the afternoon.

Where to park for free
You could choose to park at Quai du Maréchal Foch. Park as close as possible to the bridge and then you just need to cross it to the other river bank and follow the river to the Tourist Office. The market starts here and spreads into the town centre.

Market at Plestin les Grèves
Market Day : Sun morning
This is also quite a big market and it's centered around the town centre. You could head towards the Tourist Office.
Office du tourisme
Address: Place du 19 mars 1962, 22310 Plestin-les-Grèves, France

Supermarkets
1. Intermarché
Route de Morlaix - D786, Zone commerciale Bel Air, 22300 Ploulec'h, France
Tel : +33 2 96 37 17 59
Mon - Sat : 9AM–7:30PM, Sunday : Closed
On the GPS, it will be difficult to find this supermarket by inputting Route de Morlaix. You need to key in postal code for Ploulec'h and then you will see it easily once you reach.

2. Intermarché
Route de Tréguier Centre Commercial Le Lion de Saint-Marc, 22300 Lannion, France
Mon - Sat : 9AM–7:30PM, Sunday : Closed
same GPS instruction as above.

List of other possible walks in the Rose Granite Coast

Here's a link to this website on walks in this area :

Randonnées en Bretagne

If you need any help, just email me.

La Pointe du Van, and la Pointe du Raz, France

The Pointe du Raz is supposedly the western most point of France, and nearby is the Pointe du Van. Tripadvisor reviews show that the latter is less touristic and moreover, free parking is available. Finally, the views and the walks are just as fantastic, so visit la Pointe du Van first.
It's about 50 km to the west of Quimper, 1 hr's ride by car. You can take a detour to stop by at Douarmenez for a walk or go to the Tourist Office for some info.
We went in June and the whole place was alive, full of scented yellow flowers, "ajonc" in french, "ulex" in english. You can literally walk around on top of the cliffs, see even the Pointe du Raz, and enjoy the Atlantic view and this beautiful perfume !
It's definitely an under-rated attraction as compared to the Pointe du Raz, which is about 13 km away, and you have to pay for the parking there.

Les Halles St François à Quimper, France (Central Market at Quimper)

Covered market
Adresse : 
16, quai du Steir
29 000 Quimper
Mon - Sat : 7h to 19h
Sun : 7h to 13h

This is an important market right near to the river Odet. On Wed and Sat mornings, an open-air market also presents itself along the quai du Steir and the river.

Visit the market or take a walk by the river !

Salt Marshes at Guérande, France

The salt of Guérande is famous all over the world. So it's good to visit the salt marshes farm to see how salt is produced if you are ever in the vicinity of Guerande.

There are basically 2 types of salt produced : "gros sel" and "fleur de sel". The first is the ordinary type of salt which is unrefined, big grain and the latter is fine salt, used supposedly only in minute doses on prepared dishes and not to be used in cooking, unlike "gros sel".

The Terre de Sel salt farm is only about 8 mins away from Guérande. It's of course preferable to have a guided tour. It's available in English and French. The short 45 min tour will give you a pretty good idea of how the salt is produced, in which it is explained clearly how they harvest the salt.

The mining of salt depends on four factors : the salt marshes, tides, wind and sun. So it's not unusual to expect that the harvest is only done during the hot season of summer, which also means that the "paludier", the salt marsh worker, has only a short time frame to do it. The fine "fleur de sel", which is only formed on the surface of the water in crystallised form, is of course harder and more delicate to harvest.

The souvenir shop there sells of course these 2 salts, but I expect those in the supermarket would retail for a better price.

Oyster Farming at Fort Royer, St-Pierre d'Oléron, France

St Pierre d'Oléron is a small peninsula island 180 km north or 2h30 drive from Bordeaux. From La Rochelle, it's about 80 km south or 1h15 drive.

The farm is called "Site Ostréicole Fort Royer" and the website is :
http://fort-royer-oleron.fr/suivez-le-guide/visite-commentee-sur-lostreiculture/

The visit is best done at low tide and for this, it would be better to call ahead and enquire about the visit, or ask the local Tourist Office. If it's high tide, it would be impossible to walk out to the oyster bed. 

Of course at low tide, you would have to wade out in the mud or sludge to get to the oysters. Wellington boots will be provided and the walk and visit could take you about 3 hours. The guided tour is in French, but I believe you could ask for an audio-guide in English.

The farmers are very passionate about oyster farming and this is a traditional method of farming the oysters. The history, the evolution and how they farm the oysters is fascinating, not to mention the hard work involved in bringing the oyster to our dining table.

At the end of the walk, you could opt to have an oyster tasting. I find the oysters here to be quite salty and perhaps as it was June, the oysters are supposedly in breeding mode and therefore do not have the usual taste.

Factory Outlet Shopping at McArthurGlen Troyes, France

We stop-over at Troyes for our journey from Lake Thun Switzerland to Le Havres. Many may think that it's doable in one day. I think it's possible but it will be tiring, or if you choose to use toll highways.

Many many shops here :
http://www.mcarthurglen.com/en/outlets/france/mcarthurglen-troyes/
Opening hrs :
Mon - Fri : 10am to 7 pm
Sat : 10 am to 8 pm
Sun : closed
Free parking

Of course, don't forget about tax-free shopping if you intend to make many purchases.

Factory Outlet Shopping at Metzingen, Germany

Metzingen is a city about 240 km from Frankfurt and for us staying at Ühlingen-Birkendorf, 170km, a little more than 2 hrs drive.

Many many shops here :
http://www.outletcity.com/en/metzingen/
Opening hrs :
Mon - Fri : 10am to 8 pm
Sat : 9 am to 8 pm
Sun : closed
Free parking : car parks P5, P6, P7

This is supposedly the biggest factory outlet in Germany and therefore we came with great expectations.
Firstly, there wasn't any clear signage for car parks P5, P6 and P7, where one can park for free. After circling the shopping area, we happened to stumble upon these car parks. 

For directions, if you are on Reutlinger Str, turn into EichbergstraBe. You will see Polo Ralph Lauren and then Prada on your left. Go on straight ahead and you will find P4, P5 and P6 on your right, P4 of course isn't free.

The prices are not great, as some have mentioned before here, except for maybe Hugo Boss suits in her sample shop. 

We left soon after, disappointed.

Of course, don't forget about tax-free shopping if you intend to make many purchases.

Mullerthal Trails, Luxembourg

Area of Stay : Beaufort in Luxembourg

There are 3 main routes and 4 Extratour trails. The trails are easy and runs through forested areas now and then.

We were glad to make it here, as we haven't heard about this place at all where we are living.
Moreover, it's close to autumn time and the leaves are changing colours, so it's really beautiful.

Our lodging apartment was right next to trails B1 and B4, in Beaufort, so it's easy to take a stroll in one of the Mullerthal trails here.
We also did a section of the trail B2 starting from the tourist office in Berdorf. The rock formations, majestic walls and beautiful autumn colours make the walk even more exhilarating !
I believe that this is truly a underrated attraction.

Airbnb in Black Forest area, Ühlingen-Birkendorf, Germany

Name of Airbnb : Apartment - Wohnung @Black Forest
Host website : Schwarzwald Holiday
Room Type : Entire Home/Apartment 
Area : Ühlingen-Birkendorf, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Why did we choose this area ?
We wanted to stay in the Black Forest area, and my research indicated that I could do some walks in nearby Feldberg and Lake Schluchsee, and also visit Lenzkirch.

• Communication with Sue has been easy before our trip. We messaged her via Airbnb the night before that we expected to arrive just after 2 pm and she was there to welcome us. 
• She's a really warm and generous person and we felt at ease immediately.
• We stayed on the first floor, with our own entrance and Sue's family is staying right on site on the ground floor, with an interconnecting door between us.
• The apartment is spacious and we liked what she provides : her stainless steel pots and crockery, toaster, coffee maker, water heater jug, etc...things you'd use at home are there. She even places a service bell for us to ring her, but we never had to, cos she'd be looking out for us to see if we were alright. 
• My wife wasn't feeling too well and we asked to turn on the heating. Sue never hesitated in any way and even asked us to use her kitchen fully. 
• The house is located right on top of a hill, the view is wonderful and a wonderful place to be in the Black Forest. We walked around her neighbourhood at night after dinner to partake the fresh air. 
• Generous in every way, she gave us her garden tomatoes, a bit of salad and her home made berries jam. She offered to buy us bread in the morning, which we declined, and helped us with our laundry. She provided info on where to go, to eat and the local supermarket. We didn't manage to do a lot as my wife was a bit sick. 
• We visited Feldberg and Lake Schluchsee and found a good bakery and butcher in Tiengen. Sue gave us some parting biscuits the night before we left. 
• As this was our first Airbnb experience in Germany, we are very happy to have Sue as our host. She's very passionate about her work and we shared tips on health exercises. We really enjoyed our short stay with Sue and Roland.

Airbnb at Aeschi bei Spiez, Bern, Switzerland

Name of Airbnb : Pfrundmatte
Room Type : Entire Home/Apartment 
Area : Aeschi bei Spiez, Bern, Switzerland

• Communication with Andreas has been quite easy. He asked us to call his mum Julia about our ETA, which we did, and when we arrived, we were quite surprised to see him, waiting to receive us.
• He is very warm and that put us at ease rightaway. He then explained clearly and in detail on how to use his studio apartment. We were so happy to be using his place for the next 6 days. 
• Firstly, it's a chalet located at 750m altitude overlooking Spiez and Lake Thun. His apartment is on the first floor, with 2 other apartments but his balcony offers beautiful views morning and night over the valley and lake. 
• Secondly, it's very modern, comfortable and as it's quite cold, we turned on the heating in the living and bedroom.
• Thirdly, the kitchen has everything provided, tea, coffee, coffee maker, water heater jug, toaster, a big fridge and even a dishwasher. When we ran out of dishwasher tablets, more were brought over, as they don't stay on site. Julia. Andreas' mum, also came over the next day to show us how to use the washing machine, which is located in the basement. There's also a lift, which makes it easy to transport our luggage. We didn't have any issues, and when we asked them, their response or solution was quick.
• There's a supermarket, restaurants, butcher, and a good bakery nearby (the butter croissant is really delicious). 
• If you like native Swiss Alps music, you hear it everyday, cow bells ringing in the pastures right in front, as there's a cattle farm. And church bells chiming from behind... 
• It's only 35 min from Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald, so convenient a location to your Swiss adventure in the Alps.
• We also took small walks further up from his place, after dinner, to enjoy the fresh air. 
• Finally, we really enjoyed staying in his place, and we'd soak in the big bathtub to ease our fatigue from the mountain walks. It was our first Airbnb experience in Switzerland and we are delighted to have Andreas and Julia as our hosts.

Airbnb at Le Havre, France

Name of Airbnb : La Sanvicaise
Room Type : Entire Home/Apartment 
Area : Le Havre, Haute-Normandie, France

• Communication with Yveline has been easy and reponsive before our arrival. We told her our ETA and she was there to welcome us. 
• She briefed us on her house and we fixed a time for us to see each other again for the goodbye. 
• It's a 3 storey house located on a hill right above Le Havre city centre. Her son stays on the ground level only for the weekend but we didn't see him. We parked our car right inside the compound here. 
• On the first floor, the living room is on the right (when you face the house), dining room and kitchen on the left, and another living room right behind, with full height windows, facing a huge garden. 
• On the 2nd floor, 2 rooms, a twin bed and a double bed on each side of the staircase, with the bathroom in between. The front of the whole house faces the south, so it's bathed and warmed in the morning light as the sun rises. 
• It was pretty cold in Oct, so Yveline had the heaters turned on slightly. For us, it still felt cold. Fortunately, there's a portable heater that we could use and we place it to use wherever we felt cold. 
• She provides a lot of information in a file, what to do, nearby shops, restaurants to eat, etc... This was our 2nd time in Le Havre but this time we stayed longer, to know it better. 
• It's very convenient here, near to the Le Grand Cap Shopping Centre, where there's also the huge hypermarket Auchan, to the Parc de Montgeon, and to the city centre or the coast. 
• We visited Etretat for the 2nd time but at sunset, Le Tréport, St Valery sur Somme and Fécamp.
• In town, we shopped at Docks Vauban and Espace Côty and Le Grand Cap nearby. 
• We also enjoyed eating seafood : lobsters, turbot, "bar", "bulot", scallops, oysters and mackerel, all so fresh and cheap, that we had lobsters and turbot twice.
• Yveline's kitchen came in handy, her induction pots heat up really fast and of course, pretty well equipped for our cooking, and the dishwasher as well.
• Yveline also provides a paid option to engage a cleaning lady at the end of our stay. Though we always clean up the kitchen and clear trash at every Airbnb home, we may not have the same yardstick as to the standard of cleanliness, so we took up the option. 
• It's a quiet neighbourhood. It's also our first Airbnb experience in France and we had a wonderful stay thanks to Yveline.

Airbnb at seaside cottage in Brittany, France

Name of Airbnb : Seaside holiday cottage in Brittany
Room Type : Entire Home/Apartment 
Area : Trédrez-Locquémeau, Brittany, France

• We stayed 7 days here in Oct. People may be taken aback by signing a contract for the stay, but it didn't prevent me from trying this place in Brittany. 
• Emmanuel's mum Mme Guegan welcomed us, and had to drop by another day to give us toilet rolls. She came back on the final day to take note of the meter, and we paid her cash for the electricity consumed during our stay, which didn't amount to much, so it was really worth it.
• The weather however was about 4 to 16 deg C everyday, so the house was quite cold for us who are from SE Asia. Although we turned on the radiator to heat the shower rm, living or bedrm, it didn't work so efficiently(maybe due to humidity), so the heating may feel inadequate. Lighting up the fireplace helps, so people who come here in cold weather might have to buy firewood from the supermarket.
• The other difficulty is that the access road to the house is slightly steep and narrow, so parking, getting out, and moving suitcases may be a problem for some, and those with mobility issues might have also face some difficulty.
• All in all, we were quite happy with our stay despite these minor issues. We were lucky to have pretty good weather despite all odds, and we visited places that we like, especially the markets and the beaches.

Airbnb in Beaufort, Luxembourg

Name of Airbnb : Studio in Luxembourg's Little Switzerland
Room Type : Entire Home/Apartment 
Area : Beaufort, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

• Chris was quite easy to reach via Airbnb and he responds quite readily. Normally, we were not supposed to see him on our arrival, but he turned up as he had to prepare our beds and other linen. 
• We hadn't been able to find his place and had to call him. Then later at his door, it was hard to hear him over the internet phone on how to open his apartment. So we were glad to see him arrive.
• Once you enter the correct road to the parking, you will see the Chinese restaurant Le Phenix on the right. Just head towards the end of the parking and take the lift to level 2. You have to go half a level down to his apartment. 
• As it was pretty cold in Oct, we were quite glad that his apartment was warm due to the presence of a huge radiator.
• Beaufort is situated at 700+m altitude. His place is a studio apartment where the bedroom, living rm and the kitchen are together. There's also a balcony plus a huge sitting area balcony extension. It's also located right next to the Mullerthal trails B1 and B4, so it was very convenient. 
• We also did another trail B2 near Berdorf. The leaves have changed colour, so it was beautiful.
• The Mullerthal trails are truly under-rated and for us, we were happy to make it here and to experience this wonderful area of Luxembourg.
• All in all, we enjoyed our short stay of 3 days here. It was warm and cosy, important for us as we come from SE Asia and so being warm where we stay is important.