billdozer78

My wife and I are planning a two week trip in late June-early July and I'm trying to figure out which country will pair best with Switzerland. We're in our 30s, enjoy good scenery (particularly mountains and lakes), smaller towns/villages, and don't have much interest in the big cities. Weather permitting, we enjoy the outdoors and light hiking; we prefer mild summer weather which is part of our reason for choosing Switzerland. We are planning to have a car for most of the trip except for a day or two in each of our terminal cities. What we'd like most from the second country on our trip is a bit of contrast or variety compared to Switzerland. I realize that each country (and even each region) is unique and that we could easily spend two weeks in a much smaller area, but as Americans we don't get enough time off work to vacation properly. If we spent "enough" time in any one place, we'd never get to see 95% of the world at all.

From my early research, the best fits for us seem to be southern France (Provence, but probably not Cote d'Azur), or some combination of spots in Italy (Lake Como area, Tuscany, Cinque Terre). Austria also looks lovely, but at the risk of sounding ignorant, it "looks" too similar to Switzerland (please tell me why I'm wrong). I think around 1200km of driving is very manageable for us; our last road trip was 2500km in two weeks in New Zealand which was a bit too much but still a fantastic experience.

My general question is: What regions would provide the best contrast with Switzerland?

Some more specific questions:

Will it be necessary to book accommodations in advance in early summer (late June-early July) throughout Switzerland or in specific areas? It's nice to be able to be flexible, but we don't want to be stranded without a room.

Would you recommend a campervan? It seems like the facilities in Switzerland are rather good, but I'd be a bit nervous driving a larger vehicle on mountain roads.

Is it worth seeing the Dolomites on a trip that also includes Switzerland?

Since we'll need to arrive or leave from a major airport, is there a city that is absolutely worth seeing (Venice, Florence) even if it's not our main objective?

Thanks in advance to those of you who contribute your vast knowledge to help the newbies here. It's truly invaluable information!

sandralist

I think it is worth seeing the Dolomiti even though you will have been in Switzerland. You might want to consider how hot and crowded Venice and Florence will be when assessing how worth it is to you personally. Many people feel that one should not be bothered by such things because Venice and Florence are their favorite cities, but many people really regret visiting both cities in summer. However, if one of your airports is Venice because you have come down through the Dolomiti than stop in and take a look, I think.

When I first read the title of your post, I immediately though to answer: °Best country to pair with Switzerland is one where you like the food.° But now that I see that you appear to be looking for contrast, I am wondering if perhaps you would enjoy Scotland, perhaps Ireland, or Brittany or cycling around Belgium. To me these offer far greater contrast than the other places you say you are considering, and the weather will be much milder. (Le Cinque Terre is a very tough place for hiking in the summer heat and sun. There is no shade.)

StuDudley

Provence would be my pick for early July because the lavender will be blooming then. Bedoin is a good place to stay, close to the lavender fields around Sault, and a center for bicycling up Mt Ventoux & in the countryside (there are 3 bike rental places in Bedoin). The Luberon is a bicycling area also - but gets many tourists in July.

I would fly into Geneva and pick up a car from the French rental office so you can return it in Provence/France without a drop-off fee. Also, your CC issuer probably provides free CDW insurance in Switzerland & France. Check that. If you end your Alps adventure in Chamonix/Mt Blanc (visit) just over the border from Switzerland, it's a 4 1/2 hr drive to Provence.

You can fly from Marseille/Provence or take the 2 3/4 TGV back to Paris & fly home from there after a few days visiting our favorite city in Europe. Act soon if you want super discount TGV PREM fares (around 30E each) from Avignon TGV to Paris.

Italy/Tuscany/CT is a bit problematic because it is a long drive there, and your CC issuer might not cover CDW if you are in an accident in Italy, plus you'll have a drop-off fee.

Lake Como is still in the Alps.

Stu Dudley

nytraveler

I would think northern Italy would be fine - you could do a great week between Venice and florence - spending a day in the Tuscan countryside. This would give you a different culture, language and cuisine - as well as a combo of city and countryside.

And in either place I would reserve hotels in advance - to get decent ones at reasonable rates.

cybertraveler

We paired Switzerland with Provence and Cote d'Azur last summer. I agree with Stu that Provence is lovely at that time of year. It is also very different from Switzerland, and the food is wonderful!

Switzerland turned out to be our favorite "new" country! We especially loved the train travel. It's clean and super-efficient. We never rented a car, and never missed it. You can literally get just about anywhere on safe, reliable public transportation.

It sounds like you will have a wonderful time. Happy planning!

kja

Forgive, but I'm going to argue against pairing countries: There are some wonderful contrasts between parts of Switzerland, and those contrasts are all the more evident because of the similarities that result from the fact that they are all part of Switzerland!

I think many Americans who haven't been abroad don't fully appreciate that most countries weren't "born" as entities that survived over time. Through much of Europe (and through much of the world), the areas that are now in any one country -- say Switzerland -- were not always Swiss and they show the influences of their varying histories if you allow yourself to see them. There are some things about Geneva that are arguably much more like Paris than parts of France (e.g., parts of Brittany). And the Ticino is, in many ways, more like parts of (northern) Italy than, say, Sicily. So I, personally, would rather visit the Ticino and some other part of Switzerland than any part of Switzerland the the Dolomites. YMMV.

Personally, I look for contrasts WITHIN a country on any one trip (so I can see the differences between parts of one country or region, AND, as a bonus, I get to do so without having to adjust to a different country) and contrasts BETWEEN countries across trips (so I can see the differences between regions). If you only visit a part of Switzerland, you won't have the chance to see its diversity. Maybe you don't care to -- and that's fine -- but honestly, you might actually find it more rewarding to see the contrasts within a country than to try to find contrasts between countries that have enough in common to obscure many subtle differences. Just my opinion.

That said (forgive the rant!), if you really want a contrast to Switzerland, then given your interests and time frame, you might consider Scotland or Iceland.

Whether you end up pairing countries or not, you might want to consider using public transportation while in Switzerland. The bus and train connections are excellent and extensive and in many places, a car would simply be an impediment. And if you do rent a car, look for the smallest vehicle you can find -- NOT a camper van! Fuel prices in Europe are not subsidized, as they are in the US, and many roads are NOT designed for large vehicles.

I believe that June/July is high season for much of Switzerland that is outside of cities. If you want to pay far more than you need to and don't mind settling for inconveniently located and otherwise suboptimal lodging, by all means, don't book in advance. OR check your options through booking.com and book lodging that provides a favorable cancellation policy.

Whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful trip. Switzerland is filled with enchanting places!

asps

Kja is right as Switzerland is a varied country. There are places when I cannot even understand in which language the clerk at the cash desk is talking back to me (and I understand 3 out of 4 of their national languages).
However, I will pair Swtzerland with Austria. They look almost the same on a first look, then you will discover that Austria is much cheaper and it is somewhat merrier.
I was recently in Besançon, France, only a short drive from Lausanne, and it was interesting as being a completely different place from Switzerland. Often overlooked is also the area around Lake Constance where with short hops you can visit three different countries (well, almost four) in a short time.

asps

And I would add that Dolomites are the best area for light hiking - there are spectacular landscapes but often hikes are available with reduced diffences of elevation. In most places over the Alps landscapes are as good as Dolomites, but first you have to walk uphill three hours....

kja

"hikes are available with reduced diffences of elevation" -- I found any number of trails in Switzerland that had minimal differences in elevation, including trails in the incredibly scenic Graubunden and Bernese Oberland.

billdozer78

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts. kja, I must admit that the more I read, the more it seems there is a huge amount of variety available within Switzerland as you said. Now the only thing that's making me hesitate about staying in Switzerland for the full two weeks is the cost!

kja

Yes, Switzerland is more costly than many destinations and that is a reason to consider splitting your trip!

Cowboy1968

If money is also an issue you should check the route to each possible 2nd destination on viamichelin.com
You may be surprised how expensive (gas plus road tolls) driving 1K kms across France or Italy can be.
It may be cheaper to return your car in Switzerland, and take the train to wherever you will go, and rent another car for the remaining part of the vacation there.
Lake Como area is in easy reach and does look different than what you will see in central Switzerland - both in Ticino as well as on the Italian side.
Another different but not too far away region could be Alsace.

sandralist

Have you checked out renting an apartment to keep costs down? If you decide to stay in Switzerland the whole time, you can slow down a bit and do a couple of sequential apartment stays.

Restaurant food in Switzerland is not so glorious that you will feel deprived having a few picnic dinners instead. You might also find it an advantage to have a kitchen where you can store food to take on picnics for hikes.

Also, places like Lago di Como or Provence are not necessarily cheap. If you want cheap, hop a flight to Portugal! Nothing like Switzerland. If you go to Porto and the Douro valley, the weather is cooler too.

sandralist

PS: EasyJet flies out of Milan to Porto, non-stop. If you end your Switzerland stay somewhere convenient to the train down to Milan, you can probably drop off the car in the morning, take a train to Malpensa and be in Porto in time for dinner. I have never hiked in the Douro valley but have heard it is very pretty, although I think most people go for the wine and food.

http://walkinginportugal.blogspot.it...ro-valley.html

http://www.neverendingvoyage.com/the...s-wine-region/

bilboburgler

A little unfair to comment that Americans are not used to variation in countries, after all the US is made up of Mexican conquests, rebelious Brits, Russian purchases, French purchases and Native American theft.

I'd recommend Germany even just Lake Constance and north to Ulm gives you a series of fine, less expensive places to visit. Alternatively Alsace and Lorraine is hillier and slightly more expensive the food will be a little bit better.

Obviously the food will be better, the service better and costs lower outside Switzerland. As they say "bring your wallet and you yourself are not required".

kja

"Obviously the food will be better, the service better and costs lower outside Switzerland. As they say 'bring your wallet and you yourself are not required'." Hmm... I had some delicious meals, and I experienced some truly outstanding service, at MANY restaurants in Switzerland. I'm sorry bilboburgler's experiences were less positive. It seems to me a little unfair to suggest that one can't get excellent food and service at restaurants in Switzerland....

And of course, I wasn't saying that ALL Americans are oblivious to variation within countries. If you actually look at what I said, you'll see that I didn't actually say that at all.... A little unfair to comment that such a generalization had, in fact, been offered....

Christina

Don't let cost stop you, I didn't find costs in Switzerland any different than lots of other places in Europe, like France where I've been a lot. It's not really that bad as people say.

I think almost any country is a contrast to Switzerland, northern France just as much as southern France, so I don't agree with the idea that only southern France is different. It's easy to get to Burgundy and Paris by train from Switzerland, as I've done it, also.