Good morning or can I say bonjour!
Just for recap, we visited Mt. Titlis and Lucerne yesterday. Our 6th day will be a very long day but short entry as we travel from Zurich to Paris by bus. The agency should have booked a cheap flight like Ryanair just like when we traveled from Seoul to Jeju via Eastarjet. On the bright side we get to see the countryside and vineyards along the way.
Started our long journey to Paris at 9:15am and this will be the last beautiful scene of Switzerland highway. When we crossed Switzerland border we saw our coach driver paying tax or fees to the customs while they checked our shopping bags. Not sure if they do so when we get out from Switzerland coz we dozed off most of the time.
Although Switzerland is a member of Schengen area which means no need to chop your passport but it is not a member of EU. The Frontier Guards may ask if travelers have anything to declare. At many crossings, motorists will be asked to buy the "vignette" or autoroute sticker if the car does not already have one on the windscreen. This is the annual motorway toll and as of February 2014 it costs 40CHF.
At airports, travelers' passports will only be checked if they are arriving from a non-Schengen member country like UK. The airports are now divided into "Schengen" and "extra-Schengen" zones so that those who arrive in from a Schengen country simply walk straight to the baggage hall. Passports are not checked at railway stations as all the countries surrounding Switzerland are part of the Schengen area. When arriving or leaving by rail at some border stations passengers might have to go through Customs.
Our beloved trustworthy Kuoni bus. We can't thank our Italian driver enough for the excellent service in enduring foggy highway and unpredictable weather.
I had pork chops with loads of french beans while hubby had huge piece of fish with generous amount of chips. All plus drinks for a total of only about €20 after toilet rebate.
Now that I know what those beans are called it's no doubt French like to
put them on their dishes. I always call them "or kui tao" in hokkien or
"kacang buncis" in Malay not knowing the English name.
After our lunch, hubby showed me about 5-6 kitties outside and I squealed! French cats are quite plump. When I wanted to pet them they ran away shyly.
Continued our rendezvous at 3pm. We slept again in the bus therefore not sure if we passed some vineyards coz this part of French has a lot of them. You will get to see vineyards during summer and don't forget to drop by for wine tasting.
Wanted to buy this as my own souvenir but hubby told me off by asking why do I need to spend more than RM20 just coz the box looks pretty? then I realized I still have 4 days left and need the Euros for food.
We reached The French Air and Space Museum at 8:22pm. Nope, we ain't going to the museum. It just happens to be right opposite of our dining place. Opening hours are 10am - 6pm and entrance is free.
We checked into Only Suites Hotel Paris CDG at 9pm and will be spending 2 nights. Room rates are from €104 for junior suite like ours. Some feedback on this hotel are the room key management and pathetic breakfast. Due to mixing the room keys and gave us the wrong one to other guests' suite, the reception made us wait till half an hour just to sort out the bookings. I'll show you the breakfast on the next post.
Narrow kitchen with clogged sink that I forgot to take picture but we didn't lodge report coz we didn't use the sink and it wasn't stinky.
No curtains in the bathroom but outside on the bedroom is not a good idea. It might be fun for couples but what if you are staying with siblings or prankster friends? Get ready for free show.
Lastly, I leave you with a video of my trip capture using only cellphone. The last video was made by my husband using SJCam.
Just for recap, we visited Mt. Titlis and Lucerne yesterday. Our 6th day will be a very long day but short entry as we travel from Zurich to Paris by bus. The agency should have booked a cheap flight like Ryanair just like when we traveled from Seoul to Jeju via Eastarjet. On the bright side we get to see the countryside and vineyards along the way.
Despite looking chill I was freezing as hell while faking a smile outside of a rest stop.
Woke up at 7am on a cold Monday morning and packed our stuff. Goodbye Dorint Airport-Hotel Zürich. It was a fantastic 3 day 2 night stay with you.
Prepared ourselves for breakfast at 8:10am. Refer to previous entry if you want to see the lobby that has a hanging plane. Seriously a plane about twice the size of me in the lobby.
Breakfast as usual, you can refer to the day before on the buffet breakfast and room rates.
Although Switzerland is a member of Schengen area which means no need to chop your passport but it is not a member of EU. The Frontier Guards may ask if travelers have anything to declare. At many crossings, motorists will be asked to buy the "vignette" or autoroute sticker if the car does not already have one on the windscreen. This is the annual motorway toll and as of February 2014 it costs 40CHF.
At airports, travelers' passports will only be checked if they are arriving from a non-Schengen member country like UK. The airports are now divided into "Schengen" and "extra-Schengen" zones so that those who arrive in from a Schengen country simply walk straight to the baggage hall. Passports are not checked at railway stations as all the countries surrounding Switzerland are part of the Schengen area. When arriving or leaving by rail at some border stations passengers might have to go through Customs.
More contemporary buildings along the highway than villages.
Made the first pit stop at Avia on 1pm for lunch. We were given 2 hours here. Actually there were many stops along the way like every 2 hours.
Wow! I love EU highway rest stops. The cafeteria is clean and food is abundant and affordable.
It was so cold but I wanted to take picture anyway. Loving the golden autumn leaves.
Hubby looked more natural. Damnit I was shivering!
Another rest stop for toilet break and tea time at 5pm. Those snacks looked so tempting omg!
In the end I bought a flan for only €3.50. Oh yeah, you never see me drink coffee coz just to clarify, I can't take coffee.
We went into this Chinese restaurant.
No comment for the food but China people operating such restaurants in Eu esp in Paris are pretty rude.
Dark and gloomy but I like the chic design. It's so Paris.
The suite is fine with minimal complain.
A separate mobile partition for the bedroom. So I guess this is our honeymoon suite for the trip.
Our vacation routine to take "bedtime" pictures.
Haul of the day and also supper. Bonne nuit, mon chéri! Can't wait to explore Paris tomorrow.
Oh, by the way before I went to bed I have a habit of checking my email. Saw the word CONGRATULATIONS! I received a free trip to Macau sponsored by MGTO and Nuffnang omg! Then all my feelings to explore Paris just faded away and I began to plan on my next trip. Conclusion is never touch your phone before you sleep. You can read about my joy and excitement here.
Lastly, I leave you with a video of my trip capture using only cellphone. The last video was made by my husband using SJCam.
11th April is our 11th Anniversary
11th April is our 11th Anniversary.. A special dedication to my wife.. Love Love..
Posted by Keong Da'Great on Friday, 10 April 2015
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