Thanks for your replies - I should have added (teach me to type while cooking dinner for the kids !) that I am meeting my hubby in AMS on the weekend and we are planning to hire a car and stroll down to Paris and back (through Brussels, then Rotterdam to visit friends) for a week.

This seems to be a relatively easy drive around Amsterdam/Brussels to Paris (avoiding the city centres, as I've learnt here) and at this stage we have no set plans for it, other than spending a night or two in Paris - hence the car option and just taking our time stopping where we like. Thanks for the boat tour tip, sounds lovely and will definitely include it, and also the hotel as I haven't looked at accommodation there yet.

So this is really all about how to fill my time prior to meeting hubby - I have the 5 days free as I am flying on points so have to leave early ... however I do not plan to stay in London at all as I've been there before, and am therefore open to either flying or Eurostar-ing straight out ... it's just the end destination I'm struggling with ... I've found lots of info on here about the cheaper airlines (Easyjet, Ryanair etc) so am thinking that will probably be the way to go - once I can make a decision on where I'm going.

In terms of loves/hates - I am quite used to & happy travelling by myself, have no real loves or hates other than I want to see pretty scenery and keep my travels relatively simple so that I am not constantly walking or getting on/off transport !

Not looking for the party crowds at all, and not into formal tours as such, but other than that I'm pretty easy to please. I'm more inclined to wander around looking at architecture and people, stopping for a snack and coffee/wine regularly, than I am to spend hours in museums and such ... not really interested in shopping (stopover in SIN on way home), and the biking/hiking excursions are out for me.

I admit that the Swiss trains look wonderful and are holding my attention at the moment - I guess the reason I'm asking such an open-ended question is that I would hate to not consider something just because I don't know about it (if that makes sense) ... I'm almost getting into information overload working my way through old forum posts !

So basically just open to everyone's thoughts - what's your fave place ?

Thanks, Louise