keedm002

Hello,

We are getting married in Sep '13 (long way off but I love planning!) and planning on having our honeymoon in Italy and Switzerland for around 3 weeks (arriving 1st October, departing around the 22nd/23rd).

We have never been to either country but enjoyed a holiday in Paris earlier this year, of which our main points of interest were the food and the history/architecture (we are Australian so have nothing like Europe)! We enjoyed walking everywhere and loved to take in the views and atmosphere. I also lived in Queenstown, NZ a few years ago and am very excited for the scenery I can expect in Switzerland.

For our honeymoon we are looking at the following:

- Rome - 4 nights
- Florence (via Pisa) - 2 nights
- Venice - 2 nights
- St Moritz (via 1 night in Verona) - 3 nights
- Zermatt (via Glacier Express) - 4 nights
- Montreux (chocolate train and Chillon Castle - 2 nights
- Geneva (to fly in/out of, possible miss visiting the city itself)

What direction would you recommend we travel (ie in the direction stated or the reverse)? Also, as you can see I have a few nights to add - where would you recommend I add these?

I understand it will be the very end of the Summer Season in Switzerland (and is probably low season). I have started looking at available accommodation (our average would be AUD$400 a night, expecting some nights to go beyond this and some under) and see a lot is closed down in St Moritz and Zermatt. What are your thoughts on the Muotta Muragl in St Moritz? Also, has anyone stayed at 3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat Zermatt-Matterhorn - looks like an awesome experience, but would you recommend just 1 night there?

Any hotel recommendations would be greatly appreciated based on our budget, as well as any must-do's or restaurant recommendations (we dined at L'Astrance in Paris and hoping to find something which can stand up to it!).

Thanks in advance!

Jean

I would travel in the reverse direction to give you a chance for better weather in Switzerland. A week in St. Moritz and Zermatt in October is a bit of a weather gamble.

Too many 1- and 2-night stays for my taste, and not enough time (for me, anyway) in Rome, Venice and Florence. Your priority seems to be Switzerland, so I would probably drop Rome from this trip to give you more time elsewhere in the northern half of Italy.

Whatever your final itinerary, it would be great if you would fly into Geneva and out of an airport in Italy rather than have to spend a day backtracking to Geneva.

swandav2000

Hi keedm002,

I don't really love traveling in Italy, so I would add your extra day there, particularly to Montreux. You only have two nights there, which is one full day, and the Chocolate train is an all-day affair.

Have fun as you plan!

s

swandav2000

Oh dear, I seem to have left out some words. Meant to say,

I don't really love travelling in Itay, so I would add your extra day to Switzerland, particularly to Montreux.

Sorry!!

s

keedm002

Hi guys, thanks for your feedback. If in reverse, we would probably take a day off Rome and add it to Montreux. I am also thinking of taking out the night in Verona...

Fly into Geneva
- 4 nights in Montreux
- 4 nights in Zermatt
- 4 nights in St Moritz
- 4 nights in Venice
-2/3 nights in Florence
- 3 nights in Rome

Most flights arrive early morning and depart late at night.

The reason I have less nights in Florence is because we are wanting to stay in a splurge hotel there so can't afford to stay too long! We also can't miss Rome because we don't know when we will be back, so don't want to miss out on seeing its world class touristy spots.

What would the weather be like in Switzerland? Jean you say it is a bit of a gamble - is it rainy during this time?

Also if anyone has any hotel recommendations that would be great, especially for Montreux (as it will be the first nights of our honeymoon) any honeymoon worthy recommendations? We have roughly a AUD$400 a night budget, but happy to stay in apartments or cheaper hotels some of the time to allow for splurges up to $500-600 a night.

Thanks again guys!

keedm002

Also swandav - I'm interested why you don't like traveling in Italy?

swandav2000

Hi again,

I guess AUD$400 is around 380 chf, so that's a good budget for a hotel. I like to stay right on the lake in Montreux and would recommend these:

Hotel Eden Palace au Lac, 4 star, right in the center of town

Hotel Ermitage, 4 star inn, on the edge of town in a quiet area

Let us know if those won't do, for some reason.

Oh, it's just my personal preferences about not travelling in Italy. I just don't like noise and crowds and chaos, and to me, that's what Italy is like.

Have fun as you plan!

s

keedm002

Thanks again for your help - I really like the look of the Hotel Ermitage.

Have you stayed in either the Muotta Muragl in St Moritz or the 3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat Zermatt-Matterhorn? Very interested to hear people's opinion on these.

Also swandev as you seem to definitely know Switzerland, any suggestions of must do's or must eats in the areas we are traveling?

swandav2000

Hi again,

I've only been to the Engadin Valley twice and to Zermatt once, so I don't know those areas well. (I don't know those hotels except to know that they are not in the villages/towns but rather up on the mountain) But I get to Montreux almost every year and do know it well.

Here are links to my "reviews" (w/photos) of things to do in/around Lake Geneva:

Montreux old town
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...reux_Vaud.html

Lavaux
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...reux_Vaud.html

Promenade Fleuri
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...reux_Vaud.html

Morges
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...rges_Vaud.html

Gruyeres
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR..._Fribourg.html

Saanen
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...wiss_Alps.html

Gstaad
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...wiss_Alps.html


I don't mention Chillon castle since it's on everyone's list anyway -- so make sure you also see it. I also don't include the town of Vevey, but I think you should definitely spend an afternoon or a morning there. It's a very pretty and very interesting place, with some tangled streets of the old town right next to the lake.

As for restaurants, here are my favorites (note that I generally avoid the restaurants with the great views and all the tourists):

Villeneuve – la Gondola (tucked away at the end of a street), an Italian restaurant that’s normally full of families. The Café de Paris (in the Hotel de l’Aigle on the main street), which has about an 8-page menu with delights like salad with baked brie; serves mostly French, Swiss, and Vaudois food. You can usually find working men in coveralls in the tables next to you.

Montreux – La Rouvenaz (across the street from the tourist information booth on the main street), an Italian and seafood restaurant and wine bar that’s hugely popular with tourists and locals alike. Noisy and busy and really good.

Glion, above Montreux – la Jaman (down the street from the train station, on the left). This restaurant has two parts – one part is a Pinte, which is like a pub that serves good local food, and the other part is a full restaurant. Serves Vaudois and French food, with imaginative salads to foie gras, to fondue. I’ve seen mostly what appears to be families and old friends there, as well as workmen in coveralls.

Rivaz, in the Lavaux vineyards – Auberge du Rivaz (across the street from the dock/train station), serves local food, from local harvests. Most times the customers are the ladies-who-lunch type, though the food is basic and not expensive.

Vevey – Hostellerie de Geneve (right on the main square), an Italian restaurant with a terrific terrace on the main square for people-wathching. Hugely popular with locals and tourists. Le Mazots (hole in the wall tucked away in the tangled streets of the old town), serves Vaudois specialites and is full of long-term residents and locals. I always see some old-timers in there getting the fixed-price menu of the day.

Have fun as you plan!

s

keedm002

Swandev,

Thanks again for the great suggestions. I have added most of them to my folder of ideas!

Does anyone have any Italy suggestions for the towns mentioned?