France or Spain

 train tickets/schedules: DB app raileurope    

most train times from RailEurope

REVISED
ORD 10/14 0920 TO BARCELONA 1245 10/15 nonstop

CDG 0915 10/26 TO EUG 1837 10/26 1 stop SFO

might change return date

 BCN

 

Carcassonne

Barcelona to Marseille is about 5 hours by train; consider a stopover (I'm leaning Beziers)

Barcelona to Carcassonne, FR 3-3h30 Carcassonne to Marseille 3h Cassis 4h

Carcassonne: argument against tourism UNESCO

Barcelona to Beziers 2h30 Beziers to Cassis 3-3h40 (Marseille 3h)

Beziers: cool hotel visit Forbes

Beziers

Cassis

Marseille to Cassis 20min

Cassis (my preferred base): blog 1 blog 2 Rick Steves

Marseille to Avignon 1h15-2h Rick Steves

Marseille to Aix-en-Provence 45min Rick Steves

near Aix-en-Provence

 

FRANCE

ORD 1815 10/14 TO CDG 0920 10/15 (nonstop)

ORD 1510 10/14 TO LYS 1000 10/15 layover 2h15 FRA

CDG 0915 10/26 TO EUG 1837 10/26 1 stop SFO

LYS TO EUG (2 stops)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annecy

Paris to Annecy: train from CDG (2h) stops in Lyon for a bus (2h) to Annecy 

Lyon (Part Dieu) to Annecy: direct bus (2h) or regional train with a transfer (2h40)

Annecy: Lac Annecy Tourisme Rick Steves National Geographic Travel + Leisure

• hikes
• bus to Chamonix? 
  
  

Annecy to Dijon? train 4-4h30 1 transfer (Annecy to Colmar is 6-7h)

Dijon: National Geographic

Colmar

Dijon to Colmar about 2h, direct and 1 transfer

Colmar: Colmar Tourisme Rick Steves

Annecy to Lyon (2h)

Lyon to Colmar (3h15-3h45)

Colmar to Strasbourg (30-40min) consider Ribeauville and Riquewihr (accessed by bus)

Strasbourg: Rick Steves

Strasbourg to Paris (2-3h)

Strasbourg

Strasbourg to Lyon (4-4h30)

Lyon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPAIN

ORD 10/14 1100-1400 TO MAD 10/15 0800-0900 1 stop either EWR or IAD

ORD 10/14 0920 TO BARCELONA 1245 10/15 nonstop

MAD TO EUG 2 STOPS

BARCELONA 10/25 1600 TO EUG 10/26 0033 1 stop SFO

 

Rick Steves Spain

Sevilla

Madrid to Cordoba (2h)

Cordoba

Cordoba to Sevilla (1h)

Sevilla: NYmag Rick Steves

Sevilla

 

 

 

 

 

Ronda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sevilla to Ronda: 3h30 (Cordoba to Ronda 2h30)

Ronda: Spain Tourism

Cordoba to Cadiz: 2h30

Sevilla to Cadiz: 1h30

Cadiz: Spain Tourism NYT

Cadiz

 

Texas to Oregon 2023

Via Phoenix

Marfa 8h30

Phoenix 9h15

Bishop 8h45

Britterbush CG Inyo NF 

Pleasant Valley BLM 

K Falls 8h20

Williamson River 

Scott Creek (unreachable in April--check back) 

South of K Falls in CA near Tule Lake NM 

Via CO/WY

Amarillo 8h45 

Laramie 8h25 

Twin Falls 8h40

Via Albuquerque 

Clovis 9h15

Moab 9h15

Boise 8h45

Germany

 Berlin

Hotel Kastaneinhof

609 euro for 22-25 (need to decide whether staying the night of the 25 or evening train to Munich); hotel rents bikes; 24-30 min via U with one change; 24 min via S (to Brandenburg Gate); Penzlauer Berg on tram (ask for room in back) Rick Steves: traditional small-town German hotel, good German restaurant (aka perhaps not suited to vegetarians?)

Hotel Zoe

Jewish Quarter, Hackescher Markt, best deal is "early bird" which is nonrefundable 704 euro; 15 min via U or S direct; Rick Steves: "Airbnb might be a better bet in this location," pleasant rooftop bar, trend and more upscale than Amano

Hotel Birgit  

Prenzlauer Berg Rick Steves fav neighborhood with coffee and lots of restaurants; 732 euro; 20-30 min via U with one change; Rick Steves: quirky & peaceful with garden

Hotel Amano

Jewish Quarter, Augustsrasse; same company as Zoe--be mindful when considering each of these; a little cheaper than Zoe; has a good price for a room with a kitchenette 645euro; no kitchenette 591euro; Rick Steves: impersonal but well priced

Munich

Hotel Marc Munchen 

best price is nonrefundable for basic double 297 euro/night; Rick Steves: half block from train station (south) in historic red-light district recently gentrified but still a little gritty

Augusten Hotel  

North of train station; Rick Steves: slightly more gentrified than south station, but still has "its share of vice;" emailed for a price on 2/27 = 325 euro per night

AirBnB near river, south of Old Town

3 nights $1100 (might only need 2)

AirBnB north of train station near Old Town

2 nights available 9/25-9/27 about $761(would need to rent car for Bavaria trip)

Mittenwald

Hotel Bichlerhof trip advisor recommended, a little challenging with language on website, I think its 540 euro for 4 nights

Upstairs apartment with view and free parking space

Upstairs apartment less of a view closer to town free parking

Superhost with view and good location one review mentioned difficulty with communication, photos aren't great but it may have been updated since, free parking, view is possibly not as great as the first one

Splurge

hiking all trails  

Garmisch-Partenkirchen (may have more, better value AirBnB than Mittenwald)

hiking all trails

downstairs condo with view

near hiking, parking about 581USD for 4 nights 

separate unit

about 550USD 4 nights, parking

Mittenwald v Garmisch discussion

Mittenwald v GP discussion 2

hiking in the area Outbound

2022 Oregon to Texas

•  Eugene to Grayback Gulch CG 8h30 Boise NF, Idaho City District, ID
• Hiking:
• Grayback to Green River CG 8h45 Dinosaur NM, UT
• Hiking:
• Green River CG to Rosy Lane CG 5h20 Gunnison NF, CO
• no water Lottis Creek CG has water
• Rosy Lane to Palo Duro SP 8h35
  

2022 Texas to Oregon

• Houston to Clovis, NM 9h30
• Clovis to Lakeview CG 8h20 (Coconino NF, Flagstaff District, AZ)
• Hiking: Arizona Trail @ Marshall Lake TH
• Sunset Crater NM Lava Flow Trail
  
• Grand Canyon, South Entrance
  
• Kaibab Lake CG  (Kaibab NF, Williams District, AZ)
• Kaibab Lake CG to Lone Pine CG 7h30 (Inyo NF, Mt Whitney District, CA)
• Lone Pine CG no water, but near town of Lone Pine, and Whitney Portal CG has water
• all food, containers, and toiletries must be secured in bear boxes, not vehicles
• grocery on the way north = Vons in Bishop or Safeway and IGA in Susanville
• Hiking: Whitney Portal to Lone Pine Lake or Lone Pine campground NRT connector to Whitney Portal; also see Alabama Hills 
• on way north: Manzanar 
• Lone Pine CG to Aspen Grove CG 6h30 (Lassen NF, Eagle Lake District, CA)
• possibly moving to western FF campground for night 2: 
• Hat Creek
• Big Pine 
• Butte Creek?  says "not cleared" no water
• Crater Lake may be closed due to snow
  
• CLOSED: Honn, Dusty?, Rocky, Bogard?
  
• Tamarack TH 3.5 mi (check if open) Lassen NF
• Cypress TH (check if open) Lassen NF, Cypress CG
• Northshore CG, Burney
  

Texas Oregon Via CO

• Sunday night Fort Worth 3h40 (see AirBnB)
  
• Monday night     
•  Lathrop SP CO 9h30 
• (Yucca campground is closest to the road and reviews say road noise is noticeable)
  
• San Isabel National Forest (Colorado City area) recreation.gov FF only left
  
• La Vista
  
• St. Charles 10h15
• Davenport 10h avail
  
• Aspen Acres 10h (private but looks nice)
• Tuesday night      
• Green River (8h via Denver or 8h30)
• Evanston (9h10 via Denver, 9h45 via Breckenridge)
  
• Wednesday night 
• Malheur NF 
• Idlewild Campground 8h40 from Evanston, 10h from Green River (time zone change) FF only
  
• dispersed
  

or

• Sunday night 
• Fort Worth 3h40
• Monday night 
• Pike and San Isabel National Forests
•  Bear Lake CO (10h)
• Tuesday night 
• Green River WY (motel) 8h50 depending on traffic through Denver (I will run on the treadmill when we arrive and again before we leave in the morning)
• Wednesday night Idlewild, Malheur NF OR 10h
  
• Thursday night Eugene 5h 
  

Oregon to Texas Return Trip UT route

Thursday

Oregon to Twin Falls (9h30)

Friday

Twin Falls to SLC (3h15)

SLC to Mesa Verde Area (6h)

Mancos State Park

reservable; no water 

other recommended sites

Saturday

Mancos State Park to Guadalupe Mt NP (9h)

Sunday

GMNP to home (9h30)