I have always loved travelling by train but the freedom you have when driving trumps all other forms of transport in my books. So now that I finally have my own wheels I am determined to take as many road trips as possible and forget about public transport for good.

My first trip in my little car, from Paris to Innsbruck, was a 10 hour drive, taking in 4 countries. I wanted to take my time so spread the trip over 3 days, stopping in Belfort, France (just near the Swiss and German borders), Vaduz, Liechtenstein and then Innsbruck, Austria.

Day 1 – Paris to Belfort

Prior to leaving Paris, I played around with Google Maps and figured Belfort would be a good place to stop after 5 hours of driving. In retrospect, it would have been more interesting and cheaper to stop somewhere like Fribourg in Germany but I was trying to avoid driving too far in one day.

Unfortunately, there’s not much to discover about Belfort. It’s known for the ‘Belfort Lion’ a statue to commemorate the Siege of Belfort during the Franco-Prussian War.

After getting up close to the statue and exploring the adjacent Citadel, there isn’t much else to see or do. Belfort is trying to reposition itself as a cultural centre with recent upgrades and expansions to its museums but it’s hard to get away from its main industries which are mostly for chemicals and plastics. It’s a region with high unemployment and a depressing feel. Not a great choice for where to spend the night.

Where to Eat

The two main squares were buzzing with many restaurants and cafes and judging by the packed terraces I’d say they all offer decent meals. We ate at a little Italian place, L’Angelo on Place de la Republique. The food was standard Italian fare which I would happily recommend to anyone heading to Belfort.

Where to Stay

I arrived in Belfort without a hotel booking so was lucky enough to stumble upon the All Seasons hotel which is part of the Accor group. I prefer staying with Accor when I don’t have time to check online reviews because I don’t need any nasty surprises when sleeping in a strange place. The All Seasons is a 3 star hotel which is within easy walking distance of the main square and the Belfort Lion. It’s priced at 55 euros per night on the weekends and 85 during the week and includes free wifi, breakfast and parking. I would definitely recommend this place.

All Seasons Belfort
Rue Gaston Defferre
90000 Belfort

Day 2 – Belfort to Vaduz

There was no point in sticking around Belfort so we headed straight for Liechtenstein. Vaduz is around 3 hours from Belfort and getting there includes a brief trip through Switzerland. For some reason I thought Switzerland used tolls on their motorways but it turns out you need a vignette/sticker which is only available as an annual pass for 40 euros. Un peu cher when you’re just driving through. The clever Swiss use radars to check you have the sticker so the only way to avoid paying is to avoid the toll roads but that’s almost impossible to do and probably not worth the effort. It just means I’ll have to go back to Switzerland before the end of the year to get my money’s worth.

I’ve always been curious about Liechtenstein and was looking forward to seeing what it had to offer. Surprisingly and disappointingly it has little to offer in the way of tourism! I did read some good reviews about the country before going but it didn’t strike me as a particularly interesting place. Vaduz is tiny and the main attraction, Schloss Vaduz, is off limits to visitors as it’s inhabited by the Prince of Liechtenstein and his family who govern the country along with the elected government.

It was a stinking hot day when we were there and decided to take the little train tour to get out of the heat. The most interesting thing about the tour was the Liechtensteiner Polka folk music they played. Very catchy tune!

Where to Eat

We had lunch under the trees at our guest house/pub. The food and service was great but 60 CHF (54 euros) is super expensive.

We later had great cocktails at Nexus but they were also expensive at 15 CHF (13 euros) each. It looks like Liechtenstein is not a budget friendly destination but if you head to the Coop supermarket you can get wine in a carton for 2.50 euros. Thanks Italy!

Where to Stay

The little tourist office in the city centre (at the bus station) can give you a list of places to stay in the region but they don’t make bookings. I picked a place for us based purely on the pretty picture in the brochure. The best aspect of Landgasthof Au guest house was their shady beer garden serving local specialities and the worst was the uncomfy bed and the price (118 euros).

Landgasthof Au
Austrasse 2
LI-9490 Vaduz

At least now I can tick Liechtenstein off my list of countries to visit in Europe.

Day 3 – Vaduz to Innsbruck

The GPS lady (I should give her a name) took us through countless back streets in Liechtenstein and just as I was starting to think we were lost we found ourselves back on the motorway crossing the Austrian border. In Austria you also need a vignette to travel on the motorways but you can get them for the day for a few euros at any petrol station.

Innsbruck is only 2 hours from Vaduz so we arrived well within time for a Wiener schnitzel lunch at Cafe Central. Tastier and cheaper then Vaduz and in a stunning setting, I was so happy to finally be in this beautiful Austrian city.

I’ve already posted my first impressions of Innsbruck and there are more posts on Austria to come including my trip up a Tirolean mountain to enjoy the sunrise and a champagne breakfast.