mshaw

Greetings!<BR> We have just learned that we can go to Switzerland next May. Any suggestions for where to go? We will have a week prior to heading to Italy. Any help will be greatly appreciated. We have never been to Switzerland. Thanks,Maggie

Bob

You will get a lot of advice on this one.<BR><BR>We enjoy Lucerne, Interlaken, Murren and that area. Geneva also nice. Have never found that much in Zurich to write home about, but we have passed through there on the way to Lake Constance.

s

mshaw,<BR><BR>Part 2--<BR><BR>Now to tailor the highlights for you. I'm assuming you're flying into Zurich, and with only one week to spend, you'll only want two destinations, max. You can spend three - four days at each spot and do day-trips to look around. So some choices might be --<BR><BR>Luzern & Montreux<BR>Luzern & Zermatt<BR>Luzern & Berner Oberland<BR>Luzern & St Moritz **<BR>St. Moritz & Lugano<BR>Zermatt & St. Moritz<BR>Berner Oberland & Zermatt<BR><BR>**Might be the one I'd favor if I were you.<BR><BR>Feel free to e-mail with more questions.<BR><BR>s

s

mshaw,<BR><BR>I guess Part 1 didn't fly.<BR><BR>Here's another try. Part 1A<BR><BR>Here are the Switzerland 101 -- Intro to Switzerland Tour Highlights:<BR><BR>Luzern, a small, charming town just about an hour from the Zurich airport, is just right for the first or last night in Switzerland, but it has enough to keep visitors busy for many days. It has great history (several squares, the town walls, and the old town hall in the old town, the Lion Monument, and the Rutli Meadow), great scenery (mountains spilling into a huge alpine lake), great mountaintop excursions (Mt. Pilatus, Mt. Titlus, & Mt. Rigi), and great activities (ferry rides on the lake to the villages of Weggis, Vitznau, & Brennen, and walking & biking trails around the lake). The city is compact and extremely user-friendly -- getting around is very easy by public transport. Luzern is in the German-speaking section of the country. Here are some websites to explore: ww.luzern.org & www.lakelucerne.ch.<BR><BR>The Berner Oberland villages of Grindelwald, Wengen, & Muerren offer simply spectacular mountain scenery and quintessentially alpine charm. They are about 30-40 minutes south of Interlaken and about 3 1/2 hours from Zurich by train. There are numerous walks in the area, easily begun by cable car or funicular, and excursions to Lakes Thun & Brienz or shopping in Interlaken. Muerren and Wengen are car-free, with Muerren the most remote and less crowded. The Berner Oberland is in the German section of the country. Interlaken is about 3 hours from Zurich, and the villages are about 30-40 minutes more. Websites to explore are www.wengen.com, www.grindelwald.com, and www.muerren.ch.<BR><BR>

s

Part 1B<BR>The Engadin Valley resorts of Scuol, Pontresina, and St. Moritz offer spectacular mountain scenery and buildings of white, decorated stone instead of chalets (actually, I am only guessing from the photos I've seen as my first visit is still a year away!). The Engadin is a little less touristy than the Berner Oberland, and here there are bus connections that link the towns rather than rail. The Engadin is now only about 3 1/2 hours from Zurich, and it is about 3 hours to Lugano, making it a convenient stop for folks moving only south. However, it is somewhat distant from other locations in the country (7 hours to Zermatt, 6 hours to Interlaken, and 4 1/2 hours to Luzern), so it's difficult to fit it into a quick tour of Switzerland --unless it's your only destination or unless you're headed to Italy. Websites: www.engadin.ch.<BR><BR>Zermatt, home of the Matterhorn, leaves me cold. Of course, I "had" to go there, but I doubt I'll go again. One good draw for the place are the numerous walking trails in the mountains -- leaving Zermatt behind. I thought the village had some small corners that were charming, but overall it was overbuilt. It might be worthwhile to explore Saas Fee and Saas Grund in the same area. Zermatt is about 4 hours from Interlaken, 3 hours from Montreux, 7 hours from St. Moritz, & 5 hours from Zurich. Website is www.zermatt.ch.<BR><BR>The Ticino is the Italian section of Switzerland, curled around Lake Maggiore (Ascona & Locarno) and Lake Lugano (Lugano). Lugano is the largest of the three resorts, and a good transportation hub to explore the entire Italian Lakes region. It's on the main train route to Milan, which is only about 1 to 1 1/2 hours away. Having said that, I don't care for it much! I thought it was overcrowded & noisy. Many people prefer the village of Gandria on Lake Lugano for quiet and beauty. I have an old friend -- an elderly Swiss lady -- who insists that Ascona is the "only" place to visit in the Ticino -- for what it's worth! Lugano is about 3 hours by direct bus from St. Moritz, 6 hours from Montreux, and 3 1/2 hours from Zurich.<BR><BR>One of my favorite places in Switzerland is Lac Leman, or Lake Geneva, and I usually stay in Montreux. In the city, I enjoy the 11 km flowered lakeside promenade, the Chateau du Chillon, and the old town; nearby are a 32 km footpath through the vineyards of the Corniche Lavaux, the villages of Rivaz, St Saphorin, & Chexbres in the Lavaux, the antiques stores of the old town of Vevey, the medieval towns of Gruyeres, Murten, & Lutry, and the mountains of Gstaad (2 hours away). I also enjoy visiting the Roman ruins & museum of Nyon and Avenches. There are also ferry rides around the lake and several walking trails in the mountains around the resort. This is in the French section of the country. Montreux is about 3 hours from Zurich, Luzern, or Zermatt, 4 hours from Interlaken, and 6 hours from Lugano. Websites to explore: www.montreux.ch, www.montreux-vevey.com, www.lake-geneva-region.ch, and my travel jounal w/photos http://www.igougo.com/planning/journal.asp?JournalID=7825.<BR><BR>Here are some general sites to explore on Switzerland.<BR>www.twenj.net -- loads of information on Switzerland, and a great place to start.<BR>www.myswitzerland.com-- the Swiss national tourism site.<BR>www.rail.ch -- for schedules & fares, click on "Travel/Timetables."<BR>

Dianna

Just got back from a Costa med. cruise and drove from Heidelberg down to Savona. Stopped at Lucern on the way down, the fondue is wonderful on the river. On the way back we were stopped for 3 hours, when we went though Gotthard Tunnel we found out why, it had snowed about 4 inches, beautiful, this was the end of May.

mshaw

Wow!<BR> Thank you all....You have given me some wonderful information. Thank You! Maggie

jw

topping this for maggie, but having just returned from a five-day stay in Ticino, let me add that May sounds like a stupendous idea. J.

eric

Here's some advice: Switzerland offers superb outdoor environment - but, to really enjoy it, you need sunshine, right? If you've got a week, plant yourself first in an interesting city - would say either zurich or bern. as it's may and not yet high season, you shouldn't have that hard a time booking hotels short-notice. if the weather's not that great, then do the city-thing; if the weather's gang-busters, then hop on the train and go to any of the following great resorts: from zurich: lenzerheide or arosa, or even davos, though the latter has less charm. from bern: grindelwald, wengen (no cars here!), m&uuml;rren, or adelboden. trains are top-notch, running on time and often. and each of these results is maybe 2 hrs. max. from the main cities mentioned above. during any one week, you should get a patch of sunny days, so again, be flexible, and enjoy both sides, the cultural cities and the brilliant alpine countryside, that the country offers!

mbln74a

We were there in May 1993, the wildflowers & waterfalls were abundant. Geneva was HOT, tho Ascona was not. Things were closed or under construction in Zermatt...make sure lifts & such are available in the mt areas you plan to visit. <BR>BTW we did Kandersteg & it was beautiful, but our favorite is & always will be Lauterbrunnen Valley, the Berner Oberland. <BR>You really can't go wrong..don't try to do too much, leave some time to smell the roses & to gaze at the magnificent alps. Linda